posted by PHILEOS EVOO on July 1, 2024
Extra virgin olive oil is a flavourful and healthy alternative to other types of cooking fats. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO, for short) should be an essential ingredient in every cook’s kitchen.
Whether baking, sauteeinng, grilling, dressing or making soups and stews, adding EVOO to the mix enhances the flavour of the food and endows it with health benefits the vast majority of other cooking oils simply can’t provide.
There are number of ways in which to best use extra virgin olive oil in your cooking repertoire, and one should not hesitate from incorporating it into their daily cooking routines.
Is cooking with extra virgin olive oil safe?
The short answer to this is, yes, of course. The reason it needs to be addressed right away is because there is plenty of misinformation about the smoke point of olive oil. The all-too-common misconception is that the smoke point is too low for everyday uses.
However, researches have shown that extra virgin olive oil can be heated for short periods of time at temperatures as high as 240 ºC (475 ºF) and can remain at temperatures as high as 180 ºC (355 ºF) for up to six hours without denaturing.
Both of these measures demonstrate that EVOO can be safely used for the vast majority of domestic cooking needs.
Both of these measures demonstrate that EVOO can be safely used for the vast majority of domestic cooking needs.
Further research, has also demonstrated that many of EVOO’s healthful properties, including polyphenols and antioxidants, remain intact, even after being heated. Phileos if Sparta is packed full of polyphenols, containing 6 X to 10X more polyphenols than your favourtie grocery's extra virgin olive oils.
Now that this has been cleared up, it is time to get into the kitchen and get cooking.
Baking with extra virgin olive oil
People have been baking with extra virgin olive oil for generations. Swapping out traditional animal fats for EVOO is a great way to make your baked goods slightly more healthy while adding an extra layer of flavour.
Making the change will add antioxidants and vitamin E to your breads, muffins, cakes and crumpets. It will also cut down on saturated fats.
There are a few instances in which it is not wise to substitute EVOO for butter. A recipe that calls for liquid butter or creaming butter is counting on them for texture. Adding EVOO will change this.
Any other time these fats are mentioned, however, try swapping them out for extra virgin olive oil: Three tablespoons of EVOO for a quarter-cup of butter.
Sauteeing and frying with EVOO
As long as you are not deep frying (plan on using refined oils for this), extra virgin olive oil is perfect to fry and sautee a range of dishes.
When sautéing with extra virgin olive oil, it is best to use a small frying pan. This allows you to pool more EVOO at the bottom without having to use a significant portion of the bottle. Using a larger pan will mean you need to use more EVOO to get the same desired end result.
Grillling with extra virgin olive oil
Just like sauteeing and frying, extra virgin olive oil is excellent for grilling as well. Not only does using EVOO add additional layers of flavour to whatever you are grilling, it may also make grilling safer and healthier.
According to American Institute for Cancer Research, grilling at high temperatures may release cancer-causing chemicals known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs).
However, marinating the meat in extra virgin olive oil creates a barrier between the meat and heat, helping to prevent the formation of HCAs. The numerous phenolic compounds in EVOO also help sequester some of these chemicals.
Away from the healthful reasons to do so, there are also flavourful reasons to grill with extra virgin olive oil.
Just be sure to pour the EVOO and rub it in to cover the meat or veggie is covered as possible before placing on the grill.
Therefore, what are you waiting for? Purchase some healthy and flavourful Phileos of Sparta EVOO and up your cooking game!