Home-made chilli oil makes a great Christmas present, one that will keep giving long past Christmas. Use in stir-fries or to add flavour to chicken or steak.
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Know your oils
Creating a dish thatโs well-balanced is no easy task, and often comes down to the incorrect use of the most simple elements. So when you heat up that pan or dress your salad, what oil do you use? Do you get creative with chili oil, or do you prefer the coconut oil trend?
Oils are fats that remain liquid at room temperature. They are extracted either from seeds (no, not the chia seeds we all seem to be obsessed with right now), nuts, or fruit, by crushing and pressing or by using heat or chemicals.
Natural oils can be divided into three main groups โ saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. All vegetable oils are cholesterol-free as they are derived from plants.
Different oils have different uses. High-quality oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, lose their flavour when heated and are much better used cold as a dressing, while oils like canola oil thrive at a higher temperature and are ideal for frying.
OLIVE OIL
Probably the most well-know, olive oil is a highly monounsaturated oil, popular for cooking and dressings. It generally comes in three types โ extra virgin (first press with perfect flavour, colour and aroma), virgin (a blend of extra virgin and refined oils) and olive (a more refined oil great for cooking).
THINGS TO REMEMBER
When purchasing oils, the term โlightโ does not refer to the number of kilojoules within a bottle, but rather the intensity of flavour.
Oil is fat, which means the only way to get an oil thatโs lower in fat is to buy the smaller bottle!
Always store oils in a cool, dry place as light and heat causes them to lose colour and flavour. If stored in the fridge, some oils like coconut will solidify.