How should olive oil be used for cooking?

karadekoolaid said:
Mexicans cook with lard.
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Manteca is readily available in grocery stores here. My Mexican friends use it for some things, but use vegetable oils for general cooking. It is great for carnitas. I've used it for that, although I don't have the copper pot used in Mexico. They are pricey, and I don't have cabinet space for one. I use a cast iron braiser or Dutch oven.

CD
 
Morning Glory said:
Interestingly I made a note of something mentioned by a chef on TV the other day - which is, that if you want 'crispy fried eggs', then olive oil really works. I do intend to try it.

I've roasted potatoes in olive oil with great success.
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I always roast my potatoes in olive oil, and with Christmas mix in goose fat.
Olive oil is fine, but don't use extra vergin for cooking. Mediterranean people know which type of oil is right for which dish.

Extra virgin oil is for raw use, not cooking
 
The oils I have on hand (not counting an old bottle of sesame oil in the fridge):

EVOO - used mainly for drizzling and vinaigrettes
Light olive oil - used for most of my pan-frying and oven roasting
Grapeseed oil - used for when I need a neutral oil (I think the one I have is actually a blend of grapeseed and canola oils)
Peanut oil - high-heat pan-frying, making popcorn on the stove, and deep-frying

As to lard and duck fat…I’ve made and have had made potatoes roasted in duck fat many times, and truly don’t get the appeal. They’re fine, but people wax on and on about them like they’re something from Heaven’s Own Kitchen, but they’re no better or worse than any other roasted potatoes I’ve had.

When I’m roasting potatoes, it’s usually done with a big hunk of bacon grease/fat and a little light olive oil.

I also frequently double up on types of fat, usually some kind of oil mixed with either butter or bacon grease/fat.
 
I cook with rendered bacon fat. beef tallow, and even chicken tallow. Never used duck fat but like most people I don't buy animal fats, I save the drippings and keep them in airtight containers in the frige. I rarely cook duck. Yeah, I too think potatoes and animal fats work well together.

Peanut oil is my #1 choice for deep frying.
 
“Arrest that boy, he’s cookin’ in olive oil!”

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caseydog said:
When I do a rotisserie chicken on the grill (bbq), I like to put a pan of quartered red potatoes below the bird, to catch the chicken fat drippings. The subtle charcoal smoke adds a nice flavor, too
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The supposed origin of "Roast Potatoes". Potatoes were put under the whole side of beef and the dripping cooked them.
I say "supposed" because I wasn't there.
 
karadekoolaid said:
The supposed origin of "Roast Potatoes". Potatoes were put under the whole side of beef and the dripping cooked them.
I say "supposed" because I wasn't there.
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But wasn't the fire under the potatoes? That wasn't what caused them to cook? I wish you had been there so you could explain that!
 
Mod.comment: Lets get back on topic please...

I cooked crispy fried egg today using olive oil. It was certainly crispy but the high temperature of the oil causes the white to go 'bubbly' which I don't find aesthetically appealing. I may have another go using a lower temperature.
 
Morning Glory said:
Mod.comment: Lets get back on topic please...

I cooked crispy fried egg today using olive oil. It was certainly crispy but the high temperature of the oil causes the white to go 'bubbly' which I don't find aesthetically appealing. I may have another go using a lower temperature.
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I don't like the taste of eggs cooked in olive oil. Actually, I'd rather not use any vegetable oil for that. Just butter for my eggs.

CD
 
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