Flavoring Oils

Oils with a distinct taste are used primarily for flavoring. They enhance a range of foods, from green salads to stir-fried vegetables and cooked meat dishes. A little goes a long way and they are sometimes diluted with blander oils.

Nut oils, outstanding for their aroma as well as their taste, are expensive. (Look closely at the label of a less expensive bottle as it is likely to be blended.) The perfumed flavor and aroma of walnut oil is popular for green salads, especially in France. Hazelnut oil, with its aroma of toasted nuts, is also costly; again it is best suited to delicate salads. American pecan oil is uncommon, but is prized for its light taste and color. Sweet and aromatic almond oil is traditionally used to coat molds for desserts and candy-making, and to oil the marble for sugar work. Some cooks like to add it to salad dressings and also use it for cakes and desserts. In India, almond oil may be added to ghee or brushed on hot breads. Most nut oils turn rancid quickly and will last longer if refrigerated. Use them only at moderate temperatures, adding them toward the end of cooking.