Str iking
Oil
Infused oils open up a whole new world of flavor options.
By Lauren Kramer
Marc Piscotty
The National Culinary Review | September 2011
42
PEEK INSIDE chef/owner Troy Guard’s
kitchen at TAG Raw Bar in Denver and you’ll
see a variety of unusual oils in his pantry.
Guard infuses them once a week, creating
avocado, citrus, pickled plum, walnut, seaweed,
macadamia nut and Szechuan chili oils.
Guard uses a base of olive and canola
oils for his infusions, and says the balance
between the two is all about taste and
flavor. “If you use only olive oil, it tends to
mask the flavor of whatever you’re trying to
make,” he explains.
Playing around with unusual oil infusions
is a passion for Guard, who also owns TAG
Restaurant and is an operating partner at
Madison Street, Denver. He finds that the
oils inspire his dishes. “I started out 10
years ago with a basic lemon olive oil, and
just took it from there,” he says. “It’s really
not too complicated to make your own oils.
They last a week, and though you can buy
some of these oils, they taste way better
when you make them yourself.”
With its rich, creamy, nutty flavor, avocado
oil is the perfect accompaniment to
