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
Often in Turkey, this salad is prepared as a main dish for lunch or dinner. The composition includes lettuce leaves, eggs, parsley, green onions, black olives, and also add hot red pepper and season with plenty of olive oil.
The eggplant season begins! I want to offer you a very summer, spicy salad with an interesting combination of products, which is very easy to prepare and will be good both for a light dinner and just as an addition to the table for kebabs or other meat dishes.
It is translated into Russian as “Lahmajun-hazelnut” and is a miniature snack dish “for one tooth”, the birthplace of which is considered to be the city of Tarsus in south-eastern Turkey. Tiny tortillas made of dough, covered with a mixture of minced meat and vegetables, are served in restaurants while waiting for a change of dishes. We will try to look at this dish from an everyday point of view and prepare delicious mini – lahmajuns in an ordinary kitchen, especially since all the necessary products are at our fingertips.
Babaganush is a popular Middle Eastern snack-sauce. It is a close relative of our eggplant caviar or Georgian ajapsandali, but the taste and texture are completely different. Eggplant puree is very tender and soft, generously flavored with oriental spices and tahini paste. It is ideal to serve pate with toast, pita bread, pita, crackers, baguette – it is incredibly delicious and beautiful.
Eggplant salad is a very prosaic name, but don’t let it deceive you. A dish with a very pleasant and unusual combination of colors, flavors and textures. And he looks just amazing. Spend a little of your precious time on cooking – believe me, it’s worth it. Watch, try and enjoy!