大象传媒

by Mari Williams

Chilli oil is perfect to give as a homemade edible present for use in salad dressings, stir-fries or on pizzas. Make in small amounts, though, as it doesn't keep for long!

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Buyer's guide

A great deal of oil on sale is intensely refined and processed with chemicals, heat and filtration to remove impurities and stabilise the oil. The result is often cheap, flavourless oil with many of the beneficial qualities stripped out.

Storage

Try not to buy too much oil at a time. Most oils, apart from highly refined ones, do not keep well beyond the sell-by date. Once opened and exposed to heat and light, they will deteriorate and soon turn rancid. Store oil in a cool, dark, dry place. However, do not keep oil in the fridge, as it is likely to solidify if it gets too cold. Never freeze oil.

Preparation

Different oils suit different uses. On the whole, mildly flavoured oils with a high smoking point are suitable for frying and cooking, but more strongly flavoured oils such as extra virgin olive oil are better used for flavouring or in dressings. However, it鈥檚 also a matter of taste: experiment to find your favourites. Cooking oils are stable at high temperatures, although their burning point will vary depending on the oil. However, oil should never be re-used more than two or three times because of potential adverse chemical reactions. Nor should it be re-used for cooking different types of food as it will transfer off-flavours to the dish.