The basil oil is wonderful lightly season with salt and freshly ground pepper for a bread dipper or a top a caprese salad.
Start by making the vinaigrette for which you first have to make the basil oil. Start at least a day before you plan on serving the meal.
Basil Orange Vinaigrette
Food & Wine June 1990
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup Basil Oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
In a medium saucepan, combine the zest and orange juice and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until it reduced to ¼ cup, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Stir in the Basil Oil and season with salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. Use immediately or refrigerate the vinaigrette in a covered jar or bottle for up to 2 weeks. Let return to room temperature before serving.
Basil Oil
Makes 1 1/3 cups
1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
2 cups olive oil
In a large pan of boiling salted water, blanch the basil leaves for 5 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a food processor, puree the blanched basil with 1/4 cup of the oil. With the machine on, add the remaining oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a glass far cover and let stand to room temperature for at least 24 hours.
Carefully pour off the clear green oil, leaving behind the 6 Tbsp. of thick puree. Strain the puree thru a fine mesh sieve if desired to get a little extra oil. The strained oil can be refrigerated, covered for up to 1 month.
Grilled Shrimp
1 lb shrimp
Brush the shrimp lightly with some of the basil oil. Place shrimp on skewers. The size of the shrimp will determine how many shrimp can fit on a skewer and for how long to cook them. Large shrimp (about 18 count / pound) takes about 2 1/2 minutes on each side to cook through. Make sure the shrimp are opaque in the center.
Arrange shrimp on the plates, drizzle with orange basil vinaigrette and serve with a side of rice.
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