Choosing a Cooking Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil Doesn't Make You Morally Superior
Olive Oil
While I appreciate that extra virgin is the top-of-the-line olive oil, there is really no need to use it for high heat cooking. First of all, olive oil in general and extra virgin olive oil in particular has a relatively low smoke point, so it's not a great oil for high heat cooking methods. Second, the flavor compounds in extra virgin olive oil are destroyed by high heat, so there's no reason to use the $20 a bottle imported stuff when you're sautéing or frying. Yes, I know Mario Batali does it, but I promise, you don't need to (love you Mario!). Use a decent quality, non-extra virgin olive oil for cooking, keep the heat low, and save the fancy stuff for salad dressings, dipping and drizzling over a finished product. Also worth noting is that labels like extra virgin mean nothing if you don't like the way the oil tastes. Olive oils can vary widely in flavor, so find a store that offers a tasting bar and choose your favorite with your palate, not by reading the label.
Nut Oils
As with fine olive oil, nut oils (like walnut, hazelnut and macadamia) should be used in salad dressings and other low heat applications only. They're too expensive to use in great quantity, and their flavors are so strong that they could quickly overwhelm a dish if not used sparingly. This includes things like sesame oil and pumpkin seed oil, too. These oils can go rancid quickly, so store them in the refrigerator.
Peanut Oil
This is the one nut oil that you do want to cook with. Peanut oil has a very high smoke point and a neutral flavor, making it a great choice for all high-heat applications, especially deep frying. It is a little expensive, but not nearly as expensive as extra virgin olive oil. Grapeseed oil is a good alternative with a high smoke point as well.
Corn, Canola and Safflower Oils
These ubiquitous oils all have basically the same flavor profile - bland. That said, they're all good choices for dishes where you don't want a heavily flavored oil, like baking. They're a good and economical option for frying too, although their smoke points are slightly lower than that of peanut oil.
So you see, extra virgin olive oil isn't the be-all-end-all, no matter what Rachael Ray says. There are lots of other oil options for all your cooking needs, which can give you the flavor you're looking for at the right price. Though these oils may not have catchy acronyms, they're still great cooking choices!
Published by Lindsay Woodland
Winner of Best New CP Award for August 2008. Professional opera singer, amateur chef/pastry chef, personal finance buff and travel enthusiast, among other things. Currently based in Queens, NY. View profile
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- Peanut oil is best for frying, but corn/canola oil is a good economical alternative.
11 Comments
Post a CommentI use extra virgin avocado oil all the time now. It has the highest smoke point of all extra virgin plant oils - 255°C!!! It enhances the flavour of food instead of overpowering it like good olive oil does. It is used in the same way you would use other oils and it's fantastic in salad dressings too. I also use it in mashed potato instead of butter. Something else I've discovered lately, it has more than 4 times more lutein than olive oil. Lutein helps protect the eyes from macular degeneration and blindness. It is high in monosaturated fat (the good stuff), low in saturated fat, cholesterol free and studies have shown that avocado oil increases nutrient absorption from salads by 40%. The best value avocado oil I've found is made by Olivado. Check their website www.olivado.com
Rachel Ray is a lazy cook, Hamburger Helper sort of thing, so I usually don't listen to her cooking tips. I agree her EVOO is not of good quality, but I have to say that I LOVE seeing her face on a bottle of FAT!
Interesting information. I've never used the fancier oils, sticking to cheap old corn oil. I've learned something today, thanks!
rofl... Brava! You know, you'll get along really great with Antony Bourdain. He's the coolest! ;o) Viva diversity!
Well done, Lindsay. I agree that using olive oil in high-heat preparations is not the best choice. Plus RR gives me a bit of a pain. (big grin)
Have you tried sunflower oil? Its a bit expensive but tastes so amazing in a salad!
haha You have brought a smile to my face. I used to appreciate that RR was announcing to the world about the benefits of Olive Oil until one day I watched her show. I was surprised that she was deep-frying something in olive oil.... what a waste! Sorry, I have read numerous reports from science journals stating that olive is much better for your health compared to corn oil however when you deep fry something or drench something in Olive Oil and fry - it still has the same effect. In addition, her olive oil is not the best on the market. There are many different types of olive oil that are healthier such as compressed ones. Good article!
I still like the title, but I see your point about how they changed it. I don't even like Rachel Ray's recipes. I think they are bland.
Either way. the title is great. So is the information that you pack in under it.
LOL, Bob, you were posting at the same time as I was - sorry to hear we disagree on the title!