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
Yes, this is a translation of the name of the Turkish dish “Balyk ekmek”. A very simple, very fast and very tasty recipe. It is indispensable for a quick snack, a picnic or a youth party when you need to quickly and nutritionally feed a dozen hungry students.
I want to offer a simple but very tasty salad of beetroot, green olives and mozzarella. It is prepared very quickly, and the result will please you. It can be used as a side dish to meat.
I offer you an incredibly delicious bread with herbs and garlic. A budget option, besides, it is perfect for the upcoming post! Having prepared a plate of rich borscht, you will not even notice that there is not a crumb of bread left. I baked this bread for my husband, to whom I want to say that I love him and am insanely glad that I have him!
When I saw this recipe, I immediately realized that it would become a favorite in my family. The aroma of parmesan and Italian herbs… It’s as catchy as Italian songs. Original and, at the same time, simple modeling.
Fresh, healthy, low-calorie salad. It’s good at any time of the year when you want vitamins. Ideally, olive oil and balsamic vinegar are used for dressing, but you can also season with low-fat yogurt or light mayonnaise. A very light and fresh salad is ready, you can serve it.
Pepperoni in the Mediterranean. If you are tired of the traditional recipe for stuffed rice, then make a couple of magic steps – and cook pepper stuffed in a Mediterranean way.
Italian dishes are firmly established on our table. The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Italy is, of course, pasta. It is characterized by simplicity, ease of preparation and the attractiveness of the aroma. The classics of Sicily are tomatoes, eggplants and anchovies.
I want to share with you an amazingly delicious recipe for chicken with bread, and it’s hard to say which is tastier in this dish – bread or chicken… The bread on which the chicken is laid out is soaked in its juice and turns out fantastically delicious. Onions are also very tasty in this dish, I advise you not to regret this dish. And also, if you cook with chicken thighs, legs, but not with chicken breast, they will dry out… And ciabatta would be perfect. Quite a high-calorie and hearty dish that you can feed the whole family for lunch or dinner.
Recently we were in an Italian restaurant where we were served salad in such unusual cups. And at the other table, two people are eating soup from this plate. Well, when we tried them, we were stunned. And my hairdresser is exactly the same Italian. So I learned this recipe from him. We have already prepared it several times. Always went with a bang.