AVOCADO OIL!!!
Chef Term of the Week: “Smoke Point” = The smoke point of an oil or fat is the temperature at which, a bluish smoke becomes clearly visible from the oil and the oil begins to burn.
I can be a bit of a neurotic perfectionist in the kitchen. My team can attest, this lovable attribute of mine shows most in new recipe development. I can spend weeks tweaking and revisiting a recipe and the ingredients used in order to obtain the perfect dish. A few years ago I discovered One of these perfect ingredients, Avocado Oil. Before I go into how wonderful it is as an ingredient I’ll tell you the medicinal uses it has as well.
1. Very High in Oleic acid-
Oleic acid has positive effects from lowering the risk of cancer, preventing certain autoimmune diseases and accelerates the healing of cuts and wounds by speeding up cell regeneration.
2. Great source of vitamin E-
Avocado oil is one of the top five foods that provide vitamin E.
3. Detoxifies your body and helps you lose weight.
Avocado oil is a big source of healthy magnesium the same reason we use Epson salt for healing. It greatly helps your digestion and lowers your cholesterol.
4. Improve skin and hair-
Not only is avocado excellent for consumption but it is also used medicinally as a lotion for your skin and hair. All of the many needed vitamins and minerals it provides nurses the skin and helps cell regeneration to heal rashes, cuts, etc. It is also used for your hair, to strengthen and speed up growth.
A great brand to start out with is: “Chosen Foods – 100% Pure Avocado Oil”. Not Only is it Non- GMO but it is a USA product, from San Diego.
OK, now that I’m done talking about things I don’t really know about I’ll tell you what I have learned from experience and how avocado oil will change the way you cook. Avocado oil has the highest Smoke point of any oil on the market. With its 500° Smoke point, avocado oil will withstand the hot temperature of your frypan and not smoke or burn like other oils will. To give an example The most commonly used Olive oil has a smoke point of 325°, lame!! Canola oil has a smoke point of 380°.
For me, one of the most unpleasant and disappointing tastes is when you’re eating that perfect steak that has been seared in scorched burnt oil. To top it all off your whole house is filled with smoke in the attempt to get that perfect pan seared fillet! This is not to say that a wonderful extra-virgin olive oil doesn’t have its use. It is and always will be a staple in my Mediterranean-influenced cuisine. When making a wonderful salad you can’t beat that perfect extra-virgin olive oil taste to go with that wonderful feta and fresh cucumber and tomato out of the garden.
Avocado oil is quickly becoming one of my favorite salad dressings for its neutral taste and ability to emulsify vinaigrettes. Trust me, my friends, the price is well worth it! The GMO nonsense that goes into our every day soybean oil’s, vegetable oils, canola oils etc. should be criminal! Avocado oil’s fantastic culinary uses aside, the medicinal properties should be reason enough to never pick up another $.99 1 gallon container vegetable oil.
– Chef George Paramithas
