Preserved Thai Basil (frozen in oil)

This is my favorite herb preservation technique, since 1) herbs and oil are natural pairings, and 2) it’s easy. I find the small silicone ice cube trays perfectly portioned for individual servings of herbs, like pats of butter at a diner.

I’ll use these in a few different ways: for savory scrambled or fried eggs in the morning, added to a rice cooker along with the rice and water, or as a finishing element for a stir-fry or soup.

Yield: variable
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• Thai basil leaves, stems removed

• Sesame oil

• Cilantro and chili peppers, optional

Mince the Thai basil and any other herbs. Add them to small ice cube trays and drizzle them with sesame oil, until just barely covered. You may need to push the herbs down with a chopstick to keep them submerged.

Transfer tray to freezer. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a container or freezer bag.