Thickening Flavored Oils

I'm curious if there's an easy to way to thicken flavored oils (e.g. chive oil) so that they'll behave better when plated. I'm guessing hydrocolloids won't function because they can't hydrate in an oil-based solution and wouldn't be able to gel in the absence of water. Am I wrong about that? Or is there a lipophilic hydrocolloid substitute out there that I haven't heard of?

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Matt_67991

I think a mono- and di-glyceride blend like Glice would do the trick, which can in higher concentrations do things like thicken olive oil into a buttery spread

coryhansen78

Here's a recipe using glice to do exactly that from Texturas: http://www.albertyferranadria.com/eng/videos-y-recetas/solid-oil.pdf

(I've never tried it)

I believe Carlos Tejedor talked about thickening olive oils in one of the early Harvard Lecture series (maybe 2011/12??). I seem to remember it sounded somewhat complicated though?!

Patrik_Racz_19800

you could always thicken with purees as well. if you doing chive, you can do some chive puree and thicken the oil with the puree.

tshewman

warm or cold/room temp? Kuzu immediately thickens stocks (high in fats-very gelatenous) cold, but even more so when heated.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Thanks for the replies everyone. It seems like Glice may be what I'm looking for, though I'm only looking for subtle thickening and not setting things into a full gel. That's probably possible at lower concentrations though. I don't think Kuzu would work since it's a starch and functions similarly to cornstarch. I'd like to stay away from thickening with a puree since I'm trying to keep the oil clear. Any other ideas would be appreciated!

Monjeyer_71605

N-Zorbit maybe? Don't know, never tried. But if it turns fats into powders...

Jane_SnP_113293

I use instant Corn Masa Flour as thickener. It seems to hold onto water better over time than does corn meal.

David_Quintana_63467

Glycerin flakes

David_Quintana_63467

but it will melt out on a hot plate

Melissa_Smith_Hoffman_1255

Thanks for posting. I have been pondering the same question for a month, not wanting to ruin my precious oils (in the freezer) with too much experimentation.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Thanks Matt and Cory. I found another link to a recipe for olive oil butter using Glice ( http://www.molecularrecipes.com/gelification/olive-oil-butter-balsamic-vinegar-gel/ ) but this looks much thicker than I'd like. From the description, it sounds like it will melt at room temperature but I wonder if it will be significantly thicker.

Hallie_144488

chill them!

jim_53915

Brandon, I have actually been experimenting with that concept for the past year and have found that using glycerol monostearate is the best way to thicken my infused oils while maintaining a fluid mouth feel and pure flavor. The oil beads on the plate and stays there and yet still very fluid when it is touched. Great for plating and making sure it stays where you wanted it to be.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Thanks for the tip, Jim. I'm glad others have been experimenting to solve this problem. Glycerol monostearate is an ingredient I'm not familiar with. What percentage have you been using? Do you just blend it in, or does it need to be heated as well?