Ingredients
Garlic and Lemon Oil:
2 cups of light olive oil or canola oil
Rind peeled off one lemon
4 cloves of garlic unpeeled
10 sprigs of thyme
Lemony Citrus Vinaigrette
1 minced shallot
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 to 1 cup garlic and lemon oil (See *Note below)
salt and pepper to taste
Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
Preparation
Garlic and Lemon Oil: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the yellow part of the rind from the lemon, avoiding any of the bitter white pith and place it in a small sauce pan. Whack the garlic gloves on a cutting board with the side of a knife and add the cloves with their skins to the same saucepan. Place the whole sprigs of thyme into the pan, pour the oil over everything and heat gently over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain and store the oil in a bottle and keep refrigerated for up to a month or so. The oil may partially solidify in the fridge but will return to its fragrant liquid state if left at room temperature for half an hour or so or heated in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Lemony Citrus Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorusly until the dressing is emulsified.
*Note: Vinaigrette is basically a ratio of acid to oil. I prefer 1 part acid to 2 parts oil, although most other recipes will call for 3 parts oil. The lemon and lime juice should yield slightly more than 1/3 of a cup so 3/4 is where I’d begin with adding oil and add more according to your own taste.
