Cooking oils?

Patchwork_Quilt

Wow! I only have extra virgin olive oil.

Mind you, we don't fry anything. I use it for roast potatoes and everything.

baby_fuzz

randomtask wrote: »

Oil is a bit 'horses for courses' - I have sunflower/vegetable oil as a basic neutral, extra virgin for anything meditarrean/european and sesame oil for oriental (though it smokes very easily in the wok so really should be used just for flavouring or in marinades).

The Wikipedia article on oil is quite useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

was just about to mention the same thing before I saw your post - sesame oil is deffo for flavour and should be added at the end - not used to fry things!

Quasar

I just can't downgrade from extra virgin olive oil. I was brought up on it and nothing else to me comes even closer, so I won't buy any other oil.

Also worth noting is that olive oil contains a high proportion of monosaturate oils, making it very stable at high temperatures so that it retains its well know health giving properties.

baby_fuzz

Using another oil isn't necessary 'downgrading'! In Chinese cookery, Groundnut oil is used because it has very little flavour and a high smoking point - this means that your stir fries aren't flavoured with oilve oil, and you get crisp, hot veggies with maximum flavour. And I know I wouldn't like my chips cooked in EV!

Quasar

baby_fuzz wrote: »

Using another oil isn't necessary 'downgrading'! In Chinese cookery, Groundnut oil is used because it has very little flavour and a high smoking point - this means that your stir fries aren't flavoured with oilve oil, and you get crisp, hot veggies with maximum flavour. And I know I wouldn't like my chips cooked in EV!

Sorry, "downgrading" was the wrong word perhaps - but only because to me olive oil is sovereign.

Primrose

I prefer Sunflower oil for day-to-day cooking, Olive oil for salads, vinaigrettes, etc. and GOOSE FAT or DUCK FAT for roast potatoes. The latter may be deemed unhealthy by the health fanatics but I defy anybody to produce roast potatoes that taste anywhere near as good by using oil of any kind.

baby_fuzz

mmmmmm..... saturated fats.....

MrsE_2

randomtask wrote: »

Oil is a bit 'horses for courses' - I have sunflower/vegetable oil as a basic neutral, extra virgin for anything meditarrean/european and sesame oil for oriental (though it smokes very easily in the wok so really should be used just for flavouring or in marinades).

The Wikipedia article on oil is quite useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

I use EVOO for everything, except cakes I have almond oil for that.

pinkparrott

Hi all, as part of tryint to e more old school I've started doing much more baking, also I've really been sticking to my shopping lists and budget and whilst in the supermarket today it got me thinking.

Currently I used Olive oil for everything that needs oil - roast potatoes, putting in my wok or frying pan / a bit when making scrambled aggs / omletts etc.

And for baking I normally only use butter. (although value / basics when i can get it)

well today I needed olive oils but decided i was going to buy a cheaper alternative.
I bought some sunflower oil which was £1 instead of the £3.50 for the olive oil for use as mentioned above,

I also bought 2 x 250g pack of sainsburys baking marg for 70p as one packet of even basic butter costs this much.

Wondering what everyone else uses, as I want to try to be as healthy as posible to so dont want to use lard really, but think the baking marg is probably healthier than butter ?

am just going to use olive oil when its really needed (not sure when though)

any thoughts / suggestions.

zippychick

Hi I am still learning myself but tend to use olive oil probably more than i should. There is a good wiki page on cooking oil - scroll down for the table x