We all know that Olive Oil is good for you. Not only is it delicious, it is also great for your heart. Because of it’s healthy attributes, many people prefer to use olive oil in cooking – which is not bad, however it must be stressed that Olive Oil cannot be used for everything.
Unlike regular cooking oils, olive oil has a fairly low smoke point. Basically that’s the point where fat (olive oil, is still essentially a fat) becomes unfit for consumption. Not only will it be inedible, it also fills the air with a harsh smell.
Because of Olive Oil’s low smoke point, the following cooking methods should be done using traditional cooking oil.
Searing
Food is seared primarily to get color and to caramelize it’s surface. Searing can only be done over high heat. If you try to sear beef, lamb, fish with olive oil, the oil will burn long before it gets hot enough to sear the food.
Roasting
Roasting make the skin of food items, be it pork or chicken, crispy and delicious. However, the temperature inside the oven would be too hot for olive oil to handle. If you want to drench or drizzle your veggies with olive oil for roasting, make sure your oven’s temperature is not higher than 400F.
Stir Frying
Whether it’s stir frying on a wok, or an ordinary fry pan, it’s best to avoid using olive oil and to use regular cooking oil instead. Stir frying involves cooking food for a short period of time over high heat – again, heat is not olive oil’s best friend.
Deep Frying
Deep frying is when food is submerged completely in hot fat such as oil. Olive oil is not suitable for deep frying primarily because of the oil’s low smoke point (makes it dangerous especially if done at home), but also because of the cost involved. Remember, Olive oil is not exactly cheap.
So – to get the best of both worlds, make sure you have 2 different kinds of oil in your pantry. Olive oil for garnishing, drizzling, using as dips with vinaigrette – and a bottle of Canola Oil for you to use in lieu of olive oil.
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