Fresher spices are often more pungent in small quantities than older ones.
You can extract flavor from spices using a few common kitchen implements. Spices hold their flavor in volatile oils that can be infused into neutrally flavored cooking oils. Spice-flavored oils can be made from a single spice or a combination of spices. Many spices color the oil as they release their flavor to add another dimension to the taste and presentation of a dish. Extract the flavor of the your favorite spices to make dishes with complex gourmet flavors.
Instructions
1. Sprinkle two to three tablespoons of a whole spice into a preheated saute pan over a medium-high flame. Stir constantly for two to four minutes. Turn off the heat as soon as you can smell the spices and see they have toasted slightly. Skip this procedure for any spices you are unable to find in their whole form.
2. Pour the toasted whole spice into a spice grinder. Pulse the toasted spices until they are a fine powder.
3. Put the ground spices into a clean glass jar. Add boiling water to the jar a few drops at a time until you have enough to turn the spices into a smooth but solid paste.
4. Add a cup of vegetable oil to the jar and seal the lid securely. Shake the jar vigorously for 90 seconds and place it in a cool, dark and dry place like a pantry or closed cabinet for two days.
5. Place a folded piece of cheesecloth in the center of a colander and lower the lined colander into a large mixing bowl.
6. Open the small jar and pour the spice-infused oil through the cheesecloth in a slow, steady stream. Lift out the colander so the strained oil can be moved to a small air-tight glass or plastic container. Seal the extracted spice oil and use it withing two months.
Tags: spice into, spices into, their flavor, whole spice, whole spice into