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
A very light but hearty salad. Low in calories, ideal for weight loss and fasting. Even if your table is bursting with an abundance of food, there won’t be a single gram left in this salad!
Today I want to offer you a recipe for soup-puree of canned white beans, fried bacon and shallots, cooked with a blender, with the addition of cream. Served with mashed soup and croutons sprinkled with goat cheese.
I offer a simple soup in which all the ingredients make up a unique symphony of flavors that you will definitely appreciate. Cook this soup whenever you want to try something new.
Hummus is a simple dish made from chickpeas. It is very popular in the Middle East and Asia. But there is one “BUT”. They cook for quite a long time, and it is not always possible to find chickpeas on sale. I suggest replacing the main component and speeding up the process. Instead of chickpeas, we take beans, and the beans are already ready, in cans.
The highlight of the recipe is the sauce, or rather, the use of pink Brazilian pepper in it. Brazilian pink pepper has a delicate, warm, slightly dry smell with notes of resin, anise, ginger, menthol, citrus, raisins and juniper. It is an ideal seasoning for delicate, light dishes. They are seasoned with veal, suckling pig meat, white chicken, duck, turkey, salmon fillets and other high-quality fish, fruit soups, desserts, ice cream, sorbet, cocktails, compotes, alcoholic beverages. In addition, it is suitable for making salad sauces, marinades and pickles and is often used for decorative purposes (when serving various dishes).
This soup is perfect in any form, both hot and cold. In the second case, pour lemon juice over it. Rich taste, bright color and ease of preparation make this dish really worthy of attention.
Brizoli is the Greek name for fried pork loin. Do not confuse this dish with Italian ham brizola. The main set of spices in the marinade determines the taste of this dish.
I present to your attention a bright and healthy first course for lunch, which should please not only adults, but also children. The soup turns out to be very rich and delicious, especially if served with pieces of feta and herbs.
