Olive oil of the highest category (extra virgin) is essentially freshly squeezed olive juice, which professionals call first–pressed oil. This oil is obtained by cold pressing the fruits and separating the excess liquid in a centrifuge. Fresh olive is a capricious product, and within a day after harvesting it begins to oxidize, lose its shape, taste and aroma, so olives are turned into oil as close as possible to the place of collection and never transport fruits over long distances. This means that the first-pressed oil retains the unique aroma of olives of the region where it was made. Notes of flowers and fruits, artichokes and fresh grass.
Such a bright personality requires careful handling: extra virgin olive oil works best in its natural form at room temperature in salads, appetizers, sauces and even in cold desserts. Many manufacturers enrich its notes with additional flavors – basil, lemon zest, garlic, dried tomatoes and truffle. So the oil turns into a ready-made refined dressing. It is enough to dip a piece of ciabatta in olive oil with the aroma of noble white truffle to feel a powerful polyphony of flavors.
Olive Oil for Frying
Many home cooks are sure that frying and stewing in extra virgin olive oil is not right. From the heat, fragile natural flavors are destroyed, the oil changes texture and color, and the piquant bitterness turns into outright bitterness. But this is only partially true. In fact, the so–called “smoking point” (that is, the temperature limit after which all of the above irreversible processes begin to occur in the oil) even in first-pressed oil is quite high – up to 180 ° C, depending on the acidity of the product. In other words, if the dish is slowly languishing or baked in the oven with gentle heating, extra virgin oil releases all its flavor and transmits it to the products, which is exclusively beneficial for fish, meat or vegetables. This is the secret, for example, of the Provencal ratatouille – only mixed vegetables cooked in “virgin” olive oil turn into a luxurious, fragrant southern sun whole.
But if we are talking about high temperatures – deep-frying or frying in a hot frying pan, then the temperature shock will kill all living things. For these purposes, it is logical to use refined olive oil: it is sold both in pure form and mixed with a small amount of extra virgin (usually in a percentage ratio of 80:20). This oil is a workhorse in the kitchen, it is more affordable and absolutely universal, suitable for salad dressings and frying in a frying pan. Due to the high density, olive oil practically does not penetrate into the product during frying. And this is good news for those who want to eat a ruddy steak and observe the principles of a healthy diet: after frying, it is easy to remove excess olive oil with a paper towel.
It is worth considering that due to the high density, olive oil practically does not penetrate into the product during frying. The only thing to avoid is deep–frying and a hot frying pan
Arugula salad with fish, fresh and dried tomatoes, feta cheese and a mix of white fragrant and wild rice. I chose a mix of white flavored and wild rice because, first, it cooks very quickly, and secondly, it is perfect for this salad. Arugula and fish, as always, go well together, and dried tomatoes contribute to the overall flavor range. So, a great salad in 15 minutes!
Very tasty and beautiful eggplant salad. The salad is prepared simply and quickly, and consists of 2 main ingredients: eggplant and tomato. The dressing in this salad with the lemon flavor, because the mayonnaise with the lemon juice. This salad is served to the table immediately after cooking in a warm form.
If you have nothing against semi-smoked sausage, then I suggest you prepare this fresh, flavorful salad, which can become a full-fledged dinner and even decorate the festive table.
Juicy, flavorful salad with vegetables and eggplant. Very tasty, harmonious, moderately spicy. Gas station is a separate song. It is so good that you soak it with a piece of bread to the last drop.
The most useful soup of simple vegetables. Its rich taste is obtained due to the fact that the vegetables are pre-baked, and then the soup itself languishes in the oven. Well, as the name implies, it is very useful for digestion.
Juicy and spicy chicken breast with rosemary, Basil and thyme, with potatoes on ketsi. A frying pan made of red clay (smaller size) or black stone (larger size). It is used in Georgian cuisine. Allows you to prepare juicy flavorful dishes with a minimum amount of fat. Have the same property of the Russian Latka and Bulgarian SAC. You can use any clay dishes for baking in the oven. Healthy food.
Bubuti (Bobotie) – South African spicy minced meat baked with egg-milk mixture. Bubuti is an amazing dish. In fact, it is just minced meat with spices, but you will see how many of them and how cunningly they are intertwined. As a side dish, prepare, as well as African, sweet yellow rice.