Infused oils, vinegars flavor more than salads

A growing collection of infused oils and vinegars are becoming the most versatile and exciting ingredients in the pantry.

And while we most often think of these two staples blended together for salad dressings, the best of the infused products can stand on their own, whether glazing a roast salmon or melting the caramelized pan juices for a chicken sauté. They have an entirely different pedigree than the bottle of tarragon vinegar keeping a lonely vigil in the back of the frig.

The method of production determines their quality and price. It explains why a chestnut honey vinegar, for example, costs $24.99 on chefshop.com and a bottle of tarragon vinegar costs about $4 at the local market.

Less expensive vinegars are produced in steel tanks using a generator process that can make large quantities of vinegar in a matter of days.

Traditional vinegar makers, on the other hand, produce and age their vinegars in wooden barrels over a longer period of time, often years. It's undeniably a more romantic and sensory endeavor, but the process also produces a more well-rounded product. All of the varied components of the vinegar — floral, herbal or oaky, smoky or sweet — are allowed to mature in the barrels, softening the acidity without diluting the flavor. And the longer the vinegars are aged the more intensely flavored vinegars they become.

A familiar example is the balsamic vinegars that have flooded the market over the last several years. One that's been aged in wooden casks for 20 years and costs $169.99 a bottle will be much smoother but much more intensely flavored when tasted next to another priced at $15.99 that's been aged for 6 years.

Some of the most intensely flavored infusions begin by slowly pressing fruits such as blood oranges, Meyer lemons, black currants and grapefruit while at their peak to extract the fullest flavors from the oils and juices. Then the liquid is either fermented and acidified for vinegar, or married with fine oils.

Here are some of the infused products we've loved to cook with, and some ideas on how to use them.

O Blood Orange Olive Oil, $19.99 for a 250ml bottle (ooliveoil.com): Dress a spinach or beet salad, or one that includes crumbles of gorgonzola; sauté rosemary chicken.

Lulu Fig Balsamic Vinegar, $12.99 for a 200ml bottle: The richness of figs and balsamic is a favorite as a dip for country bread or to drizzle caramelized onions.

Pacifica Culinaria Blood Orange Avocado Oil, $10.99 for a 250ml bottle (pacificaculinaria.com): This is wonderfully smooth with a surprisingly intense orange aroma and flavor. Drizzle over grilled or roasted salmon or halibut, and Mexican vegetable salads.

O Port Vinegar, $12.99 for a 200ml bottle (ooliveoil.com): Use to deglaze a pan in which chicken, pork or beef has been cooked. Drizzle over berries, gorgonzola or roasted vegetables.

O Yuzu Rice Vinegar, $12.99 for a 200ml (ooliveoil.com): Yuzu is a sour Japanese citrus fruit about the size of a grapefruit. This vinegar has a refreshing citrus edge that can replace any plain rice vinegar for salads or dipping sauces.

A L'Olivier Olive Oil infused with Porcini and Truffle, $14.99 for a 250ml can: Drizzle over risotto, pasta, potatoes or omelettes.

Colavita Limonolio, $11.90 for a 250ml bottle (colavita.com): Drizzle over broccoli, asparagus or carrots, or over rice or couscous; marinate chicken with a squeeze of fresh lemon, garlic and mint; sauté sole with oregano.

All of the oils were found at Metropolitan Market, but both QFC and Whole Foods carry a selection also.

CeCe Sullivan: csullivan@seattletimes.com