Being an enthusiastic home cook with European heritage (Scottish/Italian, no less), I utilise a whole range of different oils, but for the most part I stick with various grades of olive oil (usually augmented with a little butter or lard).
Always being cognisant of smoke points (as we lack anything approaching a proper extractor fan), I occasionally I dabble in groundnut/peanut oil for stir-frying, but for the most most part it’s that olive oil/butter/lard combo that seems to work best with the kind of cuisine I tend to prepare for the family.
I felt it was about time I upped my oil game, and perhaps look at some healthier alternatives, so thought I have an online natter with our old friend integrative health practitioner Jill Bucaro of LA’s Wellness Riot.
Jill and her family are currently touring the United States in a converted schoolbus, so I was most grateful that she was able to join us for episode 9 of our ongoing Good Food Revelations series.
For a full easy-to-read list of oil smoke points click here… or check out the fascinating nutrition/smoke point chart below from the book Knowledge Is Beautiful by David McCandless (HarperCollins)
I’ve just ordered a copy of it and his previous book, Visual Miscellaneum; two books for browsing that will keep my son and me extremely happy this fall/autumn.
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