Oil for frying

[Moretta]

Which type of oil is best for frying?

Thanks.

[Sherri]

Really depends on what you're cooking. I use alot of canola, olive, and different seasoned oils like chili, ginger, and garlic oils. Sunflower and peanut oil when in that rung.
Sherri

[kate58]

I mostly use Olive oil, but also have a lot of flavoured oils and often mix oils too - if I'm doing a stir fry, I use sesame oil, for mushrooms I add a little truffle oil, for curries I use some coconut oil, walnut oil is good with a steak. I often add butter too - just for the flavour - or just fry with butter. No oil beats butter for fried fish for example.

Different oils have different smoke points - the temperature at which they start to break down and impart a nasty taste to food - and for good frying you need one with a high smoke point. If using an oil with a low smoke point adding a little of one with a higher smoke point increases the overall smoke point and will give a more flavoursome result.

I keep some avocado oil, which actually doesn't have a lot of flavour, for it's high smoke point, and if I am going to fry something at a very high temp throw some of that in to the mix. Many of the flavoured oils have quite low smoke points so are better used with Olive oil or some other oil and/or added at the end of frying so that their flavour is not destroyed.

[Mrs_S]

i just wanted to add that coconut oil is a good one to remember. great for fish and other seafood!

[Moretta]

I know olive oil is good when in the Induction Phase. Are the other flavour oils safe for induction use?

Thanks.

[ValidRouge]

Most fats are safe for induction, as long as they aren't hydrogenated (that's the transfats).

I, personally, use butter, lard, beef tallow, and even chicken fat for frying. Natural animal fats add an AMAZING flavor to your foods. My cholesterol continues to drop the more I use natural fats in my diet.

I also use olive oil regularly as salad dressing and for sauteeing veggies and lean meats such as skinless chicken. Mixing a bit of butter with the olive oil for frying adds flavor and does something to increase the temperature at which you can heat the olive oil (I think...I only recall something being said about this a long time ago and I tried it. Now I regularly use a mixture of butter and olive oil because it's so yummy).

Coconut oil is really good too, and adds a very nice flavor to fish and shellfish and chicken.