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Oil Mixture Question

1K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  tweakz 
#1 ·
Morning,

I have taken a number of classes and watching chefs cook in a number of environments. One of things that I always forget to ask is what is the oil mixture that many chefs use in the kitchen. I know that most chefs avoid using straight oil as it burns or creates off flavors. Can you please provide recommendations for a quality oil mixture to use?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
Most "mixtures" I am familiar with are oil and butter. Many oils can and are used by themselves. Butter is often added for flavor.  Butter is used by itself for certain applications but burns easily. Oils by themselves do not create off flavors. Butter has a relatively low smoking point. This is sometimes used to advantage by making brown butter. Sunflower and Canola oil are often used because they are affordable, do not have a strong flavor of their own and have a higher smoking point. Grape seed oil has a low flavor profile and a higher smoking point but is on the expensive side. Olive oil blends can be used but the pricier oils are most often added near the end of a dish for flavor. Then there are various fryer and grill oil products developed for foodservice needs that you won't find on the supermarket shelf. 

     Any mixed oils should be of your own creation, depending on your likes and needs. A bit of experimentation and some expenditure on various oils will better inform you than using some else's idea. 
 
#3 ·
I use olive oil, butter, clarified butter, and canola oil ( sometime sesame and pnut orierntal foods)  each for a different purpose.
 
#4 ·
The most common time I blend oils is in a vinaigrette. I'll blend a flavorful olive oil with a neutral oil like grapeseed so that the oil flavor is in balance with the rest of the vinaigrette.  As different vinegars and acids have different strengths, the amount of oil and/or combination ratio of oil will change to match. 

And each harvest of oil is different so some years take more or less oil to balance in flavor.
 
#5 ·
If you want to use butter or olive oil for flavour, typically you will cut it with vegetable oil, as some people believe this will increase the smoke point of the mixture resulting in unburned olive or butter.. As for how much that actually works in practical application, hard to say. Some would contend that most people cannot differentiate between burned oil and non...
 
#6 ·
If you want to use butter or olive oil for flavour, typically you will cut it with vegetable oil, as some people believe this will increase the smoke point of the mixture resulting in unburned olive or butter.. As for how much that actually works in practical application, hard to say. Some would contend that most people cannot differentiate between burned oil and non...
According to Harold McGee, it doesn't work at all. The butter solids still burn at the same temp they always do.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
You'll want to be familiar with smoke points, and freezing points. Also, as phatch broached upon: fats are going to go bad whether they're mixed or not and regardless of high temp vs freezing temp.

I'd love to use olive oil for mayonnaise but it breaks under refrigeration. Macadamia nut oil is great also, but makes the mayo cost around $5 a cup, you can't put it in front of the fan in the cooler, and nut allergies are common. Corn oil seems like the answer unless someone has a better idea? 

I wouldn't bother with mixing oils unless it's for flavor. Clarifying is a possible solution.
 
#9 · (Edited)
You'll want to be familiar with smoke points, and freezing points. Also, as phatch broached upon: fats are going to go bad whether they're mixed or not and regardless of high temp vs freezing temp.

I'd love to use olive oil for mayonnaise but it breaks under refrigeration. Macadamia nut oil is great also, but makes the mayo cost around $5 a cup, you can't put it in front of the fan in the cooler, and nut allergies are common. Corn oil seems like the answer unless someone has a better idea?

I wouldn't bother with mixing oils unless it's for flavor. Clarifying is a possible solution.
How many cups of oil are you using per egg.. usually I would cut with vegetable oil. Are you whisking or using a food processor? According to elizabeth david a stable emulsion is typically achieved at "ointment like consistency" when making mayo- I have always followed that rule and have never had the mixture split (unless stored improperly or old)... I doubt you're forming a proper emulsion. I would also use light olive oil or something less rich... Typically I try to abide by 2 egg yolks per 3 cups of oil. For me this achieves a stiffer consistency and the emulsion seems to hold longer than the real shelf life of that kind of product anyway...
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
I used to use a mixer with beater, or a whisk, but nowadays I use an immersion blender which creates a perfect emulsion in seconds without drizzling or pouring at intervals. Vegetable oil could be many things. When I had Lupus symptoms; I'd get excruciating stomach aches which I found were caused by ingesting soy. If I accidentally ingest silicon dioxide; the soy sensitivity comes back and causes other symptoms. For that reason; I will not use 'vegetable oil'.

When I made mayo the traditional way; it took over 5 minutes to make 2 cups. I've always used 1 egg per 1 cup of oil, and recently started including the albumen in the recipe. The olive oil I used does get cloudy under refrigeration, though I haven't tried storing it in the veggie drawer. There's a good pro-tip at the bottom of this article on using high quality extra-virgin olive oil: http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-homemade-mayo-in-2-minutes-or-le.html

I'll give light a try. Now that I'm using an immersion blender, I plan to make it more frequently and use it up asap.

-Thanks!
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ah, I'm familiar with the canola / rape seed oils, but I think soy used to be what was called vegetable oil. I've seen where an American farmer in a documentary didn't realize why they changed the name of it, and besides Monsanto was one of the largest producers of it (he was still calling it rape). I still see it listed as rape on peanut butter. Aside from not using it personally for potential health reasons; I really dislike the taste of it.

I tried using albumen because I was looking at multiple demonstrations on making mayonnaise with an immersion blender, and some more recent ones included the albumen. The mayo I made with the albumen seems runnier (which I don't mind). I also considered that a lot of that albumen was water and many recipes called for 1Tbs water.

I've found that eliminating steps in some recipes; I personally end up happier with the finished product. Waffles are a good example where if I make them the easy way they don't soak up the syrup as much (so I taste and enjoy it more), and they come off the iron easier. They're also more filling and reduce how many I make.

Sorry if straying off topic. My employer who serves a 'prestigious college' and boasts to them that we use the finest culinary methods available, uses an 80% canola 20% olive oil blend for most recipes (that call for olive oil). Meanwhile I'm cutting up bruised and chemically burned chicken, Eye rounds (meat that should be slow roasted) is grilled (high heat - but I out of 2 other cooks use thick cuts and finish it in a holding oven).

In personal use: I try to use the right oil for the right job, and no mixing (phatch pointed out why). In a professional kitchen; we're very limited because of nut allergies, oil costs and carry over flavors. Most people (99%+) could care less what oil we use and an 80/20 mix to them can be made to taste and behave like olive oil. It seems like poorer people care more about the quality of their food.
 
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