Sous Vide Rosemary and Sage Infused Oil

When infusing oils there are two main considerations, the taste of the oil and the taste of the flavoring. If you only want the flavoring to stand out, you should use a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed oil which do not bring their own flavors to the infusion. If you want a specific flavor, you can turn to other oils that have distinct characteristics, such as olive oil, walnut oil, or sesame oil.

For this recipe I want to focus on the subtle flavors of the rosemary and sage so I call for a neutral oil. The infusion process is very easy, simply combine the oil and herbs, heat in a sous vide machine for several hours, then cool and store. The time and temperature used will depend on the flavoring agents used but typically ranges from 131°F to 176°F (55°C to 80°C) for 1 to 5 hours. The more herbs and other flavoring agents used the stronger the end infusion will be.

I often use this infused oil to finish fish dishes or to add extra herb notes to vinaigrettes and other sauces.

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