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
I love summer not only for the sun and long daylight hours, but also for the abundance of delicious fragrant vegetables, fruits and fresh bright greens! How they smell, how they look and what sweet tomatoes in summer! Today I want to treat you to a delicious dish of zucchini, tomatoes and rice in the gratin style. Today, as a crispy crust, we will have to make the rice crispy in a mixture with breadcrumbs.
Lonza di maiale arrosto with baked gratin. Do you like meat and potatoes? And vegetable sauce? And cheese crusts? Then don’t pass by this great Italian recipe! I bring to your attention a very common Italian dish Lonza di maiale arrosto con patate gratinate, which is ideal for cold autumn days and the first frosts and will really appeal to the whole family.
A very tasty casserole with minced chicken, zucchini, sweet pepper and tomatoes in a creamy sauce. It is prepared very easily and unpretentiously, and it will look very festive on the table.
The simplest recipe with amazing results! My husband doesn’t like eggplants, he doesn’t like eggplants. But when he tasted gratin and said it was delicious, I thought maybe he was just very hungry. And the next day I saw my faithful devouring the remains of this dish in cold form. And I realized that this recipe has stuck with us for a long time! Try it, lovers and non-lovers of eggplant!
I suggest cooking a bright, juicy, delicious salad. It consists of lettuce leaves, carrots, tomatoes and canned corn. Salad is perfect for lunch, dinner, and as a side dish to meat.
After listening to delicious stories about overseas treats on foreign trips, such a salad was born. Very tasty, spring-like, bright! Union of Europe and Asia. For the speed of cooking, even more intense taste and aroma, I discovered a mixture of bulgur with mushrooms and spices.