Finishing Oils
For flavoring or finishing dishes you have already cooked or to add extra nutrition and smoothness to smoothies or health drinks, we recommend using flavorful oils with rich nutty flavor or delicate infused herbs. Toasted sesame oil and nutty flaxseed oil are perfect for drizzling over cooked dishes of rice, meat or vegetables for a fuller flourish of flavor. A drizzle of roasted walnut oil over oatmeal or a seared steak can offer an elegant finish.
We recommend against using canola oil or safflower oil as a finishing oil. Although versatile, their neutral flavor makes them better used for cooking rather than as a drizzle.
Stir-Fry Oils
When you are fusing flavors and tossing vegetables and meat into aromatic stir-fries, you need oils that will stand up to high heat cooking. An oil's smoke point is the temperature at which the oil will begin to burn and produce smoke, creating a smoky odor that can affect the taste of the ingredients — not to mention the potential dangers of stove top fire. To make sure your cooking methods are both safe and productive of delicious dishes, use oils that can withstand high heat cooking such as grapeseed oil, SunCoco oil, soybean oil and vegetable oil, which make the best stir-fry oils.
Due to their low smoke points, do not use any olive oil, sesame oil or flaxseed oil for stir-frying. Better to save them for medium-heat cooking.
Sauté Oils
For medium-heat, standard stove-top sautéing, rich oils make the best choice for cooking vegetables, meats and more while adding a pronounced, smooth flavor and texture to your dishes. Because of its heart-healthy fat content and smooth, rich texture, olive oil makes an excellent choice for sautéing — especially if you use all-natural, extra-virgin varieties. Also rich in healthy fats and heavier in texture, coconut oil and sesame oil make equally good choices for your sautéing endeavors — plus, they add a different kind of delicious flavor all their own. Just make sure not to sauté with any oils that break down easily in the heat, like flaxseed oil or wheat germ.
Deep Frying Oils
When you are frying foods entirely through, you will need a cooking oil with a smoke point of up to 450 degrees to ensure your deep-fried dishes come out crisp and crunchy without absorbing too much fat and becoming soggy. The best oils for deep-frying are organic, heat-resistant oils like soybean oil and canola oil, which also have just the right amount of fat to get the job done. Do stay away from olive oils when deep-frying — while they may seem like the healthier choice, they lack a high enough smoke point to be appropriate for this kind of cooking.
Searing Oils
When you are searing meat, whether it is on the grill or in a frying pan, you need smooth oils that fare well in high temperatures and work to brown the surface of the dish while also working heat into the center. For the best searing oils, try canola oil — which is light and healthy — or avocado oil — which is buttery and high in healthy fats. Your meats will never taste better than when they are seared to the perfect caramelized crust finished with oil of the right capability.
Trust La Tourangelle for Every Kind of Cooking Oil
When it comes to experimenting with flavor and creating artistic entrees in the kitchen, La Tourangelle is dedicated to providing you with the full flavors, all-natural ingredients and high-quality oils necessary for every exquisite cooking endeavor. Explore our recipes and add our delicious artisan oils to your kitchen today.