All Purpose Herb and Garlic Infused Olive Oil

 I am not normally hooked to cookery shows on TV, but when I do come across a show that seems interesting enough, I like to take notes. The operative words for me, when taking such notes, are that the recipes are simple and the chef makes it seem simpler. I really do like Australian chef Curtis Stone's  ratings-busting show Take Home Chef, though I mostly catch re-runs on Netflix. Which is how I saw him demonstrate this amazingly simple recipe for herb-infused olive oil that I simply had to try for two reasons: 1) I do a lot of grilling and toasting of breads and 2) I thought this could also do really well as a salad dressing, along with, say, a little dijon mustard. I am yet to try this on salads, so will update once I get there.
But for now, this recipe is a keeper.

Note:  1) You can make and store this in larger batches, however there may be a little loss of freshness. It is so easy, takes just about five minutes to make, so if you like your herbs fresh, use it up the same day.
2) Curtis Stone demonstrated this recipe with fresh rosemary, which I did not have with me, but there was a jar of dried rosemary and fresh basil. And it turned out to be truly delectable. The message: experiment with different combinations of  fresh herbs and dried herbs until you get your desired flavor and strength of infusion.

Serves: 2-3 people
Preparation Time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
 2 stalks of fresh basil
3 cloves garlic/.
1 tsp dried herb (I used rosemary, but you could mix and match)
A pinch of sea salt.

Instructions:

1) Start with the garlic and herbs. Peel and mince the garlic, chop the basil. Use the flat blade of the knife to crush the garlic.

2) Crush the already crushed garlic along with the salt in a mortar and pestle, till the juices are released. Add the chopped basil and dried rosemary and crush and mix some more.

3) Warm the olive oil in a pan on low-medium heat. Remember to never, ever let any olive oil smoke, leave alone the extra virgin variety. The oil should be just warm enough for you to safely dip in a finger without getting scalded. Throw in the garlic-herb mixture and let warm together for a minute more.

4) Transfer to a bottle and close for about 20-30 minutes, the longer the better. Do not refrigerate. The oil is ready to use when you can sniff the dazzling aroma if you open the bottle to catch a whiff. Let stand longer or lesser according to your desired infusion strength. Just before using, add a pinch of black pepper and/or paprika and shake well.

5) Spread liberally along with the herbs on bread/baguette slices before toasting on an open griddle.

Other uses:

1) Add a pinch of black pepper and/or paprika and some grated parmesan cheese for a great tasting bread dip.

2) Use as barbeque oil for grilling.

3) Mix with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and/or dijon mustard, a pinch of black pepper and some salt and use as salad dressing.