Peppered Olive Oil

I make this two ways using either red or black pepper. I mix and store this in a tall, thin clear glass container, such as a wine bottle with a screw on top or a cork.

Fill container about 1/8 of the way with whole black peppercorns, cracked black pepper or 1/10th filled with crushed red pepper flakes. Add extra virgin olive oil. Turn upside-down and sideways often to keep the pepper flakes or peppercorns moving and hydrated with the oil. The oil will take a few days to be fully infused with the pepper flavor.

I use this in marinades and salad dressing as well as for stir frying meats and vegetables. When using the red pepper infused oil, you can shake it before making the dressing to include some of the flakes. With the whole peppercorns, it's best to shake beforehand, let it settle and use just the pepper infused oil.