Geoffrey Zakarian's Infused Oil Tip For Stunningly Flavorful Meatballs
If you've ever seen an episode of "Chopped," you're likely familiar with one of the judges: Geoffrey Zakarian. He started his culinary career at Le Cirque restaurant, where he became a Chef de Cuisine in just five years, per his website. Since then, he's opened several notable restaurants, including Point Royal in Hollywood, Florida, and The National in New York City, and has gone on to write cookbooks and appear on other food-related TV shows.
Most of Zakarian's restaurants seem to revolve around American food, though he certainly shows his range throughout all of his restaurants. At Point Royal, for instance, his team serves elegant breakfast items like a classic eggs benedict and country-style waffles, as well as fresh juices and premium coffees. At The National, sizzling meats and seafood are the menu highlights, with the "ugly" burger as a possible standout.
Meanwhile, at home, Zakarian is just as creative — even with basic meals like meatballs.
Geoffrey Zakarian's meatballs feature rosemary and olive oil
In a TikTok video, after cooking up his tomato sauce, Geoffrey Zakarian pan-fries six fresh meatballs in a sizzling pan of fresh rosemary and olive oil before adding it to the sauce and allowing it to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. But what makes his addition of rosemary so special?
As MasterClass explains, infused olive oil is essentially flavored olive oil, be it with herbs, some heat from chili peppers, or brightness from citrus fruits. Everything from salads, soups, bread, and of course, meatballs can benefit from these enhanced flavor profiles, especially when compared to using regular ol' olive oil.
In the case of Zakarian's TikTok video, he explains that the rosemary and extra virgin olive oil infuse throughout the meatballs, which results in the meat taking on some of the flavor notes of the rosemary, like lemon, pine, and pepper, according to Spiceography.
If meatballs are coming up in your weeknight meal rotation, be sure to utilize Zakarian's infused oil tip for the best-ever subs, spaghetti, and more.