The trouble with olive oil...

[reinierb]

Going by previous threads about food and cooking, it is clear there are some very good cooks among us.  

However, how many of the good cooks here use olive oil in their dishes? I'm rather interested to know, because a client gave me bottle of horribly expensive olive oil (imported from Italy) as a gift last week, along with some very specific opinions on how olive oil improves the flavor of almost anything it comes into contact  with. 

Here's the thing though- I tried this oil as a replacement for sunflower and canola oil in some of my favorite dishes, and to my mind, this stuff absolutely ruins the flavor of everything it comes into contact with. In fact, the steak I fried in it tasted so bad not even the dog would have it. 

So, what do the cooks among us think? Does olive oil improve food, or does it make food inedible? Is olive oil an aquired taste, or does one have to be born with it to like it? 

[petra_r]

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@Reinier B wrote:

So, what do the cooks among us think? Does olive oil improve food, or does it make food inedible? Is olive oil an aquired taste, or does one have to be born with it to like it? 

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 I hated olive oil and olives until I moved to Italy.

Now I adore both and we have the most fantastic olive oil, from a friend's own olive trees, hand harvested and processed.

We actually mop it up with bread as a starter. Just a bit of the oil on the plate and salt.

[renata101]

I'd like to provide a definitive answer, but this is what I can tell you: It depends on the oil and it depends what you're cooking with it.  And this might seem like a stupidly obvious statement, but if you don't the like olives, it might not taste good. So it also depends whether or not you like the taste of olives and how strongly the olive flavour comes through with the oil you're using.  Olive oils really vary in terms of flavour. 

If you're using it with something where there's a flavour match, you'll probably have a better experience. It might be better if you're using it in a salad, for instance. 

What kind of oil do you have and where does it come from? If you know that, you might start your investigation by checking out what it's used for in the region it's from.

If your oil has a strong flavour (and you find it reasonably pleasant), you might try something like a tapenade. If you like olives, I'm adding a link to a simple recipe for olivada, which is basically an olive tapenade. A strong flavoured oil might also work well in pastas with something salty or something that also has a strong flavour (in Greek cooking that might be something like feta cheese, for instance). Or, I'm starting to notice that chefs are starting drizzle olive oil onto all kinds of things, like pizza. 

I usually use a recipe like this this as a base and add different stuff (maybe sundried tomatoes -- depends what you like).
https://books.google.ca/books?id=xZGjAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=olivada+moosewood&source=bl&ots=Fq...

[colettelewis]

I use olive oil for pretty much all my cooking, and I have never had any complaints, but If I use it to fry a steak, then I wipe the pan so that it is only a little shiny before frying. A really good Italian oil can have a very strong flavour - it depends on the type of olive - and I would be wary of using it for anything other than dipping fresh bread in it (@Petra - yum!) or for salad, or fresh asparagus, or fennel.  Some olive oils can also leave a burning sensation. I have found that mostly in Spanish olive oils. 

It's spring and asparagus is just coming in. I'm going shopping . . .

[mthornton-cpc]

I love olive oil, but as they others have said, there are many and varied degrees of quality. Along with that there are different uses for different types. Some are very fruity and some are subtle. 

I have a feeling that the smoke point might have also played a role in the flavor of your steak. Different oils smoke/burn at different temperatures and, as such, are better suited for some purposes than others. For example, I prefer to sear my steaks without oil in a well seasoned cast iron skillet, then finish in the oven while basting with butter. The butter takes on a nutty flavor that compliments the steak, whereas olive oil tends to smoke and take on a bitterness when used at high temps. That's why oils with a higher smoke point are typically used for frying while those with lower smoke points are used for lighter sautées. Peanut and canola oils are good for frying for exactly that reason. 

[renata101]

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@Melissa T wrote:

I love olive oil, but as they others have said, there are many and varied degrees of quality. Along with that there are different uses for different types. Some are very fruity and some are subtle. 

I have a feeling that the smoke point might have also played a role in the flavor of your steak. Different oils smoke/burn at different temperatures and, as such, are better suited for some purposes than others. For example, I prefer to sear my steaks without oil in a well seasoned cast iron skillet, then finish in the oven while basting with butter. The butter takes on a nutty flavor that compliments the steak, whereas olive oil tends to smoke and take on a bitterness when used at high temps. That's why oils with a higher smoke point are typically used for frying while those with lower smoke points are used for lighter sautées. Peanut and canola oils are good for frying for exactly that reason. 

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This is a critical point in terms of flavour. If you have a strong flavoured oil and the heat's too high, you'll probably end up with some bitter flavours on you steak.

As Melissa mentions, different oils handle heat differently and they work for different applications. Peanut oil is really great for something like Chinese cooking because of the way it handles heat ,since many Chinese recipes are cooked very quickly over high heat.  You wouldn't want to use olive oil for this. Not to mention that the flavours would not go well together. I can't imagine an olive in a Chinese dish. 

Canola can be a good oil to use because it's almost unnoticeable in cooking.

So it's just a matter of working with what olive oil does well rather than trying to use it for all applications or using it as a replacement for other oils.  In mechanical terms, it's kind of like sewing machine oil versus motor oil.   They're built to  handle different applications. 

[petra_r]

I don't actually have any other oil in the house...

My "main" olive oil which we buy (from friends who grew it) in 5 liter canisters, and smaller bottles of infused oils (top quality olive oil with herbs, garlic, orange, oregano, lemon etc) from the local vineyard.

I buy "other" oil now is if I wanted to deep-fry.

All local, all grown by small local farmers and harvested the old fashioned way (mostly). The only time

You take your own oil canisters and empty 5 liter wine bottles and threy fill it for you. The wine is heavenly and costs less than a € 1 per liter.

Grilled salmon with a drizzle of orange-infused olive oil and fresh black pepper and a green salad is a divine and almos carb free dinner.

Small fresh tomatos with oil, salt, mozzarella (buffalo, of course) and a bit of basil... luuuuuurvely

[mthornton-cpc]

Petra, I'm coming over. 

Burrata cheese, heriloom tomatoes, basil, lots of cracked black pepper, drizzle with fruity olive oil. That tastes like summer to me. Sometimes if watermelon is especially ripe and good I'll add that to the plate, too. 

ETA: AND WINE. Sorry to yell, but I really mean it. 

[petra_r]

my current favourite when I don't want salad with my protein:

Take a head of cauliflower, take the rosettes off, put them in an ovenproof something (I use preshaped aluminium baking things) and drizzle very generously with olive oil. Add salt, garlic and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Put in oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Take out, throw freshly grated Parmesan over it (lots) and put back in oven for 3-4 minutes until cheese bubbles.

Enjoy! Even cauliflower haters love this.

[mthornton-cpc]

Oh, yum! I do the same thing with broccoli. I make something similar with cauliflower, but mine includes onions and thyme, omits the parmesan. I'm going to try the parmesan version, it sounds great. 

[reinierb]

So now I have another problem, but maybe not. 

It seems I don't have the ability to choose a best answer, which is a good thing in a way, since I wouldn't know whose answer to choose as the most valuable/interesting/educational, or even inspring; great story Petra! 

Thanks guys (and kudos to all)-  I have learned more about olive oil in this thread than I have during several hours of Googling the subject. I will have the client who gave me the oil translate to label for me so at least I'll know what I have, but I will also enroll in some kind of course to learn how to use olive oil properly. Who knows, the dog might even learn to like it too! 

ETA- It seems I can now choose a best answer, after all. Here goes...

[petra_r]

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Reinier B wrote: I will have the client who gave me the oil translate to label for me so at least I'll know what I have, but I will also enroll in some kind of course to learn how to use olive oil properly.

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 Take a clear picture, I'll translate it for you if you like 🙂

[reinierb]

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@Petra R wrote:

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Reinier B wrote: I will have the client who gave me the oil translate to label for me so at least I'll know what I have, but I will also enroll in some kind of course to learn how to use olive oil properly.

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 Take a clear picture, I'll translate it for you if you like 🙂

Thanks, Petra, but I don't own a camera or a smart phone, so I can't post a picture of the bottle. I'll be sure to let you know what the label says after I've had it translated by the person that gave me the oil, though. 

ETA- This person is an Italian chef who owns a couple of restaurants in the city - and a couple of Ferraris I work on from time to time -  so perhaps he was assuming too much when he gave me oil.   

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[colettelewis]

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@Reinier B wrote:

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@Petra R wrote:

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Reinier B wrote: I will have the client who gave me the oil translate to label for me so at least I'll know what I have, but I will also enroll in some kind of course to learn how to use olive oil properly.

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 Take a clear picture, I'll translate it for you if you like 🙂

Thanks, Petra, but I don't own a camera or a smart phone, so I can't post a picture of the bottle. I'll be sure to let you know what the label says after I've had it translated by the person that gave me the oil, though. 

ETA- This person is an Italian chef who owns a couple of restaurants in the city - and a couple of Ferraris I work on from time to time -  so perhaps he was assuming too much when he gave me oil.   

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Lol. Are you sure it was olive oil not high grade . . .:p

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[mthornton-cpc]

Sad news to report: I made a lovely tomato, basil, and burrata salad with yummy olive oil, a glass of beautiful rosé and was so very excited to eat it... but the burrata was bland and disappointing. It was a truly tragic dinner. I knew that you, friends, would understand my pain. 

[mtngigi]

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@Melissa T wrote:

Sad news to report: I made a lovely tomato, basil, and burrata salad with yummy olive oil, a glass of beautiful rosé and was so very excited to eat it... but the burrata was bland and disappointing. It was a truly tragic dinner. I knew that you, friends, would understand my pain. 

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It's a very milld cheese. I don't know if you did this, but it's best to let it come to room temp and then some before eating. And it's a good idea to sprinkle it with a little sea salt.

[mthornton-cpc]

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@Virginia F wrote:

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@Melissa T wrote:

Sad news to report: I made a lovely tomato, basil, and burrata salad with yummy olive oil, a glass of beautiful rosé and was so very excited to eat it... but the burrata was bland and disappointing. It was a truly tragic dinner. I knew that you, friends, would understand my pain. 

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It's a very milld cheese. I don't know if you did this, but it's best to let it come to room temp and then some before eating. And it's a good idea to sprinkle it with a little sea salt.

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Oh yes! It's practically a staple in my house. Always sea salt. Always black pepper. Always olive oil. The cheese itself had no flavor. Not mild, just nothing. Even the creaminess of it was lacking. Bummer. 

[moutcom]

Hi folks, wish you happy labour day 🙂

Here is a moroccan breakfast with olives and olive oil; thats how we eat it here.

AND never fry in olive oil unless you want a real hardcore tase : example sardines fried in olive oil ! 

BTW, if its so expensive, i should maybe sell ours !

[m_terrazas]

Hi Moutacim,

Happy Labor Day for you too!

That breakfast has an exquisite appearance !!

In the United States, Canada and some other country (if I'm not wrong) this day is celebrated in September. What I do not know for sure is the reason, since it is supposed that with this day the "martyrs of Chicago" are honored.
I guess it will be for some political reason at that time 😞

[moutcom]

Hi Maria,

well well well, you don't know how much you don't know !

I didn't know this info, i thought the only day united people on earth 🙂

Thank you, and happy breakfast then 🙂 !

[renata101]

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@Melissa T wrote:

Oh, yum! I do the same thing with broccoli. I make something similar with cauliflower, but mine includes onions and thyme, omits the parmesan. I'm going to try the parmesan version, it sounds great. 

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I like roasting vegetables like this. And I love potatoes roasted with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. 

I managed to somehow overwinter my rosemary without killing it, so I'm quite excited about the prospect of more fresh rosemary. 

It's funny how simple these dishes are, but they're so good. 

[renata101]

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@Melissa T wrote:

Petra, I'm coming over. 

Burrata cheese, heriloom tomatoes, basil, lots of cracked black pepper, drizzle with fruity olive oil. That tastes like summer to me. Sometimes if watermelon is especially ripe and good I'll add that to the plate, too. 

ETA: AND WINE. Sorry to yell, but I really mean it. 

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I'm there as well. I'm just thinking about the cheese, tomato, basil, black pepper, olive oil combo. Mmmmm.

And Mellissa, it's okay to yell about the wine.  As long as you stop once you've been served. 

 

[mthornton-cpc]

Ha! I'll try to remember that, Renata. 😉

[nkocendova]

In my experience, the more expensive and high quality the olive oil is then the more pronounced and possibly even astringent the flavor is. Those are the types of olive oils that in my opinion are best enjoyed fresh and used in salads, for dipping bread, fresh appetizers and dishes with peppers or tomatoes being very complimentary to this type of oil.

There are mild olive oils that don't influence the flavor of dishes as much and practically disappear in whatever dish they are used in but expensive olive oils are revered for their strong olive flavor. Also, olive oil doesn't do well in high heat applications and that can affect it's flavor.

[barada00]

Reinier, I'll answer you as a Mediterranean cook and food lover. Don't use olive oil for frying. For example if we cook potatoes and want something resembling fried potatoes with olive oil, we put it in the oven and sprinkle with olive oil.

There are many sorts of olive oil least quality being riviera. From there it goes up. I don't think what you have is riviera. To test if it is suitable for hot or cold dishes you can drop some on your tongue and taste it (after not smoking at least for half an hour).  If it has an olive like taste (might be a bit bitter) then it is good for cold dishes. If you can't taste anything then it should have a very low acidity and it can be consumed with hot and cold dishes.

We have a very large collection of olive oil dishes that are all consumed cold. Basically you cook them and put olive oil on them and wait till they are cold. You can also use it with all kinds of salads. Here's a link for you to see what Turks do with olive oil:

http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/recipes-5/olive-oil-dishes-116.html

In addition almost all of our mezes (things to eat while drinking Raki) are made with olive oil. I'm pretty sure if there are Greeks or Cypriots reading this they can write here many more thing that you can do with it.

[renata101]

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We have a very large collection of olive oil dishes that are all consumed cold. Basically you cook them and put olive oil on them and wait till they are cold. You can also use it with all kinds of salads. Here's a link for you to see what Turks do with olive oil:

http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/recipes-5/olive-oil-dishes-116.html

In addition almost all of our mezes (things to eat while drinking Raki) are made with olive oil. I'm pretty sure if there are Greeks or Cypriots reading this they can write here many more thing that you can do with it.

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 Thank you, Baris. The stuffed eggplant recipe is making me very hungry. 

Reinier, when are you flying us all to Petra's for a consultation?

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

(CAUTION - sentimental and borderline off topic drivel)

I'll tell you a little story how olives indirectly led to me even being here in Italy. I'll try to keep it short.

Some years ago there was a dashing Italian and a German me who met under somewhat odd circumstances (long story) but couldn't be together (long story.)

The whole thing plays out with us mostly being in different countries and once he called me from Italy (I was in Germany at the time) and told me how he was walking in an olive grove with the sun setting.

Fast forward a couple of years and I was living in Scotland by then, and he in Germany.

Somehow (long story) we managed to arrange a two week holiday in Italy (I'd never been) and we spent months planning a wonderful trip for him to show me bits of his country.

We met at Frankfurt airport (I flew down from Scotland and he met me on a crowded train platform (cue violins.) We flew to Italy and after we picked up the hire car we drove towards our first destination, through beautiful countryside with endless olive groves as the sun set. I made him stop the car to go for a walk among the olive trees.

I fell deeply in love with olive trees and Italy that evening. I physically grieved when I returned to my stable, good job in Scotland. I wanted to be back in that olive grove.

8 months later I moved to Italy to freelance full time on Upwork, then oDesk.

Part of why I chose my current home is because my terrace backs against an olive grove. Tonight, after the sun's set, I'll be looking over the olive grove spotting fireflies dancing in the darkness, a glass of wine in hand.

Olives and olive trees and olive groves are magical creatures. Hence olive oil is magical too.

PS:

Olives also have endless medicinal purposes, my mother (a former pharmacist) uses it for all sorts of creams and tinctures!

Thanks for getting this far, if you have.

[mthornton-cpc]

Petra, this is better than Under the Tuscan Sun. 

[petra_r]

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@Melissa T wrote:

Petra, this is better than Under the Tuscan Sun. 

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 It was and is 🙂

I didn't watch "Under the Tuscan Sun" until I was already living here and recognizing things from it which are so very accurate - and even places I've been to (some of it plays on the Amalfi coast.)

[m_terrazas]

Thanks for the link, they look good!
Some of these recipes I know, by hearsay, by the novels of Petros Márkaris about Inspector Kostas Jaritos.
In addition to entertaining (in many ways), he manages to make my mouth water 🙂

[mtngigi]

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@Baris A wrote:

Reinier, I'll answer you as a Mediterranean cook and food lover. Don't use olive oil for frying. For example if we cook potatoes and want something resembling fried potatoes with olive oil, we put it in the oven and sprinkle with olive oil.

There are many sorts of olive oil least quality being riviera. From there it goes up. I don't think what you have is riviera. To test if it is suitable for hot or cold dishes you can drop some on your tongue and taste it (after not smoking at least for half an hour).  If it has an olive like taste (might be a bit bitter) then it is good for cold dishes. If you can't taste anything then it should have a very low acidity and it can be consumed with hot and cold dishes.

We have a very large collection of olive oil dishes that are all consumed cold. Basically you cook them and put olive oil on them and wait till they are cold. You can also use it with all kinds of salads. Here's a link for you to see what Turks do with olive oil:

http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/recipes-5/olive-oil-dishes-116.html

In addition almost all of our mezes (things to eat while drinking Raki) are made with olive oil. I'm pretty sure if there are Greeks or Cypriots reading this they can write here many more thing that you can do with it.

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As was mentioned, some olive oils, especailly extra virgin, are best used as a finishing oil. That said, there are many brands and types from different countries, and they all behave differently. You most certainly can cook with some of them, depending on what you're cooking and the end result you want.

A little olive oil in my well-seasoned cast iron skillet makes excellent fried potatoes. You just have to taste the oil to make decisions on how best to use it, as you suggested ... some can be very bitter.

I'm of Mediterranean descent and mezes were the way we ate many meals; my "old country" mother was an amazing cook. Hummus and baba ganoush were always drizzled with olive oil, as well as her homemade yogurt and yogurt balls sitting in jars filled with olive oil and herbs.

p.s. I was a chef in my former life.

[mtngigi]

Reiner,

If your olive oil is "extra virgin", it should mostly/only be used as a "finishing" oil and not cooked with. Drizzle it over pasta, a steak, roasted vegetables etc. It's not really meant to cook with because the taste can be over-powering and high heat supposedly does something weird to it. A Google search brings up lots of info about that. That said, I have been known to cook with it. Eggs fried in it are especially delicious. There can be big differences in brands and some are way stronger than others.

If it's regular olive oil and still too strong for you, try mixing it half and half with canola oil - I keep a mix like this on my stove in a little cup with a spoon, and use it for sauteeing all kinds of things. This is also an economical way to stretch that expensive bottle of olive oil. You can also mix the extra virgin with a neutral oil and see how that works for you.

[m_terrazas]

Reinier, I see that you have already been given all kinds of good answers.
I only provide an opinion. You have to learn to like it. You must educate your palate.
There are olive oils with different graduations, maybe you should start with the lowest one (0.4º) and then go up.
Many people are used to cooking with butters, vegetable margarines, sunflower oil, etc., and the change to olive oil is brutal 🙂

And, that oil that you have been given, keep it for when you can really appreciate it.

[wendy_writes]

Other than "I love good olive oil" plus all the sage advice and recipes that you've gotten Reinier, I'm going to guess you already know that olive oil is healthy.  Far more so than any other substitute ...

@ Baris, thanks for your link.  I adore Turkish food and these are a must try.  🙂

http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/recipes-5/olive-oil-dishes-116.html

[luce-neidert]

What a surprise to find out that not everybody likes olive oil...

I (I'm French) hardly ever use another type of oil, olive oil is my staple, I use it for cooking and salad dressing. I've been doing so for a long time, and would find it hard to do without olive oil.

[wendy_writes]

Olive oils are processed differently. Spanish and Tunisian olive oils are 'lighter' in consistency than Italian ones.

[reinierb]

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@Maria T wrote:

Reinier, I see that you have already been given all kinds of good answers.
I only provide an opinion. You have to learn to like it. You must educate your palate.
There are olive oils with different graduations, maybe you should start with the lowest one (0.4º) and then go up.
Many people are used to cooking with butters, vegetable margarines, sunflower oil, etc., and the change to olive oil is brutal 🙂

And, that oil that you have been given, keep it for when you can really appreciate it.

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 That is true, and especially if like me, you have no idea what you're dealing with. My introduction to olive oil was brutal, indeed. 

[renata101]

Wendy mentioned health benefits, which no one has discussed so far. Basically, I'm of the mind that anything you don't like the taste of probably won't be remotely healthy for you because you'll feel angry eating it (that's just my own theory, untested).  

Extra virgin olive oil is supposed to be the healtiest, but  apparently it has greater heart health benefits if you consume it raw (since heating changes the composition). With this in mind, drizzling olive oil or using it in salads might be the best way to get the heart health benefits.

There's an intersting show on the BBC called "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor" (you can probably see it on YouTube as well).  They look at different popular health ideas and trends and test them at different labs throughout the UK. Here's their olive oil experiment:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/tWtLcz30LZm3YTk5VfZ307/is-olive-oil-really-good-for-me