Food
and cooking articles and information:
Olive
oil in Cooking
by
Gayle Hartley
 Olive
oil is the key ingredient to give authentic Mediterranean
flavour to any dish and the beauty of olive oil is that
it can be used in many ways. Such is the aromatic, fruity
flavour that it is perfect for drizzling over almost
anything, it is delicious in salads, great with pasta
and the perfect addition to soups and sauces. It is
also the ideal oil for frying and the Spanish use it
to cook everything, even sweet dishes.
Olive
oil is the only oil that does not require any chemical
treating for its extraction and therefore does not need
any refining before consuming. Indeed the best extra
virgin olive oil is merely cold pressed retaining all
the natural goodness and flavours.
Olive
oil also has a high level of natural antioxidants and
oleic acid which make it the most stable oil for frying.
It is light, tasty and even when heated retains its
nutritional value.
Food
fried in olive oil will have a lower fat content than
food fried in other oils as olive oil when heated forms
a crust around the food to stop the absorption of oil
into the food. The oil must be heated first though as
food placed in cold oil for cooking will absorb the
oil.
The
main advantage of frying with olive oil is that is expands
on heating, therefore less is needed and the oil can
be reused up to five times, so although slightly more
expensive than vegetable oils, a little will go a long
way. Make sure though that when deep frying, there is
always enough oil to cover the food otherwise the food
will be overcooked on the bottom and undercooked on
the top.
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Olive
oil which has been used for frying fish should be kept
separately to the olive oil used for other foods as
it will take on some of the flavours of the food. Oil
which is to be used again should be kept in glass, ceramic
or metal containers with a tightly fitting lid and away
from sunlight and extremes of heat.
Olive
oil should never be combined with other forms of oil
as when heated this combination will produce toxins.
Olive
oil must be the oil of choice, whether it is drizzled
over bread and tomatoes or used to cook chips. Every
dish created with the help of Spain's natural beauty
will be not only healthier, but will be tastier with
lovely hints of the Mediterranean.
Researched
and written by Gayle Hartley
www.orceserranohams.com
©
Copyright 2008 Orce Serrano Hams - www.orceserranohams.com
Published
21 January 2008
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