Dipping Oil for Bread

One of my favorite food trends is dipping oils with bread as an appetizer, especially when they're made fresh and use a really high quality olive oil.  So I decided to do a little 'sperimenting and came up with some simple combos I like.  Hope you will too.

Greek-style Dipping Oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tsp mint flakes (or fresh)
1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then put on a plate.

Pour olive oil over and stir until blended and serve with a hearty artisan loaf. (I used whole wheat and it was dee-lish).

Mexican-style Dipping Oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper
2 tsp dried cilantro (or fresh)

French-style Dipping Oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp tarragon
1 tsp bay leaf flakes

Italian-style Dipping Oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp parmesan
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil

NOTES

All of the measured amounts above are just suggested.  Feel free to change any of them to suit your particular tastes.  I found for me that too much pepper in the mix overtook the flavor, but if you're a pepper junkie, then go for it.

You can also experiment with flavored oils to add another level of taste.  For example, I would use a Spanish Olive Oil for the Mexican-style.  SOO has a stronger flavor than EVOO, very fresh with a lot of vitality that would hold its own against the pepper in the mix.

You want to use kosher salt because it's coarser than table salt, but not as chunky as sea salt.  It blends well without disappearing into the mix.

If you use fresh herbs, add a bit at a time and adjust to taste because fresh herbs will have a stronger taste than their dried counterparts.