Frying with olive oil---debunking the myths
It is fairly common knowledge these days that olive oil has certain
health benefits one of which is its anti-inflammatory qualities and that using
olive oil in vinaigrettes, emulsions and baked goods, drizzled on or dipped
into, adds an extra layer of flavor and moisture when needed as well. But it is lesser known that olive oil
presents an opportunity to gain the same health benefits from stove top cooking,
in high temperature methods such as frying and sautéing. I know what you are thinking, frying and
healthy? No such thing! But the truth is that by using extra virgin
olive oil you can have both.
Although pan frying,
deep frying, stir frying and sautéing are different stove top methods, they all
have one thing in common, that is, the temperature of the cooking oil. The object of these cooking methods is to
cook the outside of the food quickly, creating a crispy exterior, while at the
same time allowing the heat from the oil to penetrate all the way through. In order to accomplish this, the oil must reach
a temperature of 365 to 370 degrees before
introducing the food.
Myth number one: The smoking
point of olive oil is too low for frying.
Some cooking oils and fats will reach what is referred to as
the smoking point before reaching temperatures required for a good fry. The smoking point is the temperature at which
a chemical change takes place resulting in undesirable smoke and flavor. Olive oil is not one of them. The smoking
point of extra virgin olive oil is somewhere between 380 and 410 degrees
Fahrenheit, depending on the impurities and acid content of the olive oil, the
better the quality, the higher the smoking point. So, it appears that the smoking point of
olive oil is well above the temperature required.
Myth number two: Frying
temperatures will change olive oil from a good oil to a bad oil.
Cooking fats and oils are considered dietary fats of which
there are three types, saturated, trans and unsaturated. The first two are bad, but the third,
unsaturated fat, includes olive oil, a healthy plant-derived dietary fat. The heat required to raise the temperature of
olive oil high enough to fry food cannot change the chemical composition of olive
oil from a good one to a bad one.
Myth number three: Fried foods
absorb cooking oil, making you fat.
Properly fried food does not absorb cooking oil if the temperature
of the oil is hot enough before food
is introduced. Otherwise, the food will
indeed soak up the oil, producing a soggy, flaccid product. You know, like those oil soaked fries you had
last week from your favorite fast food chain!
Furthermore, dietary fat does not make you fat. Excess carbohydrates make you fat.
Not only can you
fry with extra virgin olive oil, but you should. Frying with EVOO not only satisfies our
desire for Southern fried comfort foods, Asian stir fry, Mexican fajitas and Italian
veal piccata, but it does all of that in addition to fulfilling our nutritional
requirements for a healthy dietary fat as well.
Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef
Angela B.
