How to Cook with Olive Oil
Heat in pan for sauteing., Paint pieces of meat to get a pleasing sear., Coat roasting ingredients for a crispy exterior., Use it to keep ingredients from sticking., Use it as a finishing oil.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Heat in pan for sauteing.
One of the most common uses for olive oil is as a saute oil.
In this style of cooking, a small amount of oil is used to fry the food in a pan on the stove top.
The oil keeps the food from sticking to the pan and adds a light sear along with some flavor.
Try adding a tablespoon to a hot pan before tossing in your main ingredients in a stir fry or similar pan-cooked dish.
Olive oil tends to have a fairly low smoke point (see "Tips" below).
At high heats, it will smoke and gain a slightly bitter taste.
For this reason, it's not usually a good choice for deep-frying (cooking by submerging in very hot oil). -
Step 2: Paint pieces of meat to get a pleasing sear.
Pieces of meat like steaks, pork chops, and chicken wings tend to taste best if they have a crisp, golden-brown exterior (in cooking, this is called a "sear").
A good way to get this is to paint both sides of the meat with a little olive oil before laying it on a hot surface.
Flip the meat infrequently to allow the sear to form.
Try tossing the meat in your favorite dry seasonings after you apply the olive oil.
The seasonings will stick to the oil, giving you a finished product with a flavorful crust.
In this role, olive oil isn't just for the stove.
You can use it on the grill by painting it directly on the bars with a grill brush. , Roasting is a style of cooking that uses dry heat from all directions to get meat or vegetables tender on the inside and crispy on the outside (think a Thanksgiving roast turkey).
To get a tasty exterior similar to the sear you'd get in the step above, apply a thin coat of olive oil to the entire outside surface of the food you're roasting.
Don't use too much — this can lead to a greasy, soaked exterior rather than a crisp crust.
If you're roasting many small things as opposed to one large thing, just put the ingredients in a bowl, pour in a little olive oil, and shake to coat them.
This is a good way to roast vegetables like green beans, chickpeas, broccoli, and more. , Sometimes, olive oil is used as a sort of "lubricant" to keep pieces of food from sticking together.
Its mild flavor and its slick texture exterior make it perfect for this.
You don't typically need very much oil to get this effect.
About a tablespoon should do for most dishes.
Olive oil is most famous for being used this way to cook pasta.
Adding a tablespoon of oil to the boiling water just before adding the pasta ensures that the noodles won't cling to each other in the strainer or on your plate. , When olive oil is added to dishes at the very end of the cooking process, it is called a "finishing oil." In this case, it's usually being used to complement the food's flavor and texture or give it a pleasing presentation.
Here, again, you don't need much.
A teaspoon or two gently drizzled over the finished dish is usually plenty.
This is another case where pasta is a common example.
Lightly dressing a plate of pasta with a little oil can give it a smoother texture and a pleasing aroma along with a satisfying "heft" from the added calories. -
Step 3: Coat roasting ingredients for a crispy exterior.
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Step 4: Use it to keep ingredients from sticking.
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Step 5: Use it as a finishing oil.
Detailed Guide
One of the most common uses for olive oil is as a saute oil.
In this style of cooking, a small amount of oil is used to fry the food in a pan on the stove top.
The oil keeps the food from sticking to the pan and adds a light sear along with some flavor.
Try adding a tablespoon to a hot pan before tossing in your main ingredients in a stir fry or similar pan-cooked dish.
Olive oil tends to have a fairly low smoke point (see "Tips" below).
At high heats, it will smoke and gain a slightly bitter taste.
For this reason, it's not usually a good choice for deep-frying (cooking by submerging in very hot oil).
Pieces of meat like steaks, pork chops, and chicken wings tend to taste best if they have a crisp, golden-brown exterior (in cooking, this is called a "sear").
A good way to get this is to paint both sides of the meat with a little olive oil before laying it on a hot surface.
Flip the meat infrequently to allow the sear to form.
Try tossing the meat in your favorite dry seasonings after you apply the olive oil.
The seasonings will stick to the oil, giving you a finished product with a flavorful crust.
In this role, olive oil isn't just for the stove.
You can use it on the grill by painting it directly on the bars with a grill brush. , Roasting is a style of cooking that uses dry heat from all directions to get meat or vegetables tender on the inside and crispy on the outside (think a Thanksgiving roast turkey).
To get a tasty exterior similar to the sear you'd get in the step above, apply a thin coat of olive oil to the entire outside surface of the food you're roasting.
Don't use too much — this can lead to a greasy, soaked exterior rather than a crisp crust.
If you're roasting many small things as opposed to one large thing, just put the ingredients in a bowl, pour in a little olive oil, and shake to coat them.
This is a good way to roast vegetables like green beans, chickpeas, broccoli, and more. , Sometimes, olive oil is used as a sort of "lubricant" to keep pieces of food from sticking together.
Its mild flavor and its slick texture exterior make it perfect for this.
You don't typically need very much oil to get this effect.
About a tablespoon should do for most dishes.
Olive oil is most famous for being used this way to cook pasta.
Adding a tablespoon of oil to the boiling water just before adding the pasta ensures that the noodles won't cling to each other in the strainer or on your plate. , When olive oil is added to dishes at the very end of the cooking process, it is called a "finishing oil." In this case, it's usually being used to complement the food's flavor and texture or give it a pleasing presentation.
Here, again, you don't need much.
A teaspoon or two gently drizzled over the finished dish is usually plenty.
This is another case where pasta is a common example.
Lightly dressing a plate of pasta with a little oil can give it a smoother texture and a pleasing aroma along with a satisfying "heft" from the added calories.
About the Author
David Cooper
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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