The Well-Dressed Salad
(Page 3 of 5)
May/June 1988
By Carol Taylor
Oils
RELATED CONTENT
These days there are hosts of traditional and off-beat oils to choose from. Like vinegars, they can be used alone or in combination.
Olive oil, the essential, irreplaceable salad oil, is sold in a variety of grades. The finest, extra virgin, comes from the first pressing of the olives, which are cold-pressed (crushed between stones) rather than treated with chemicals or heat to extract the oil. Olive green and wonderfully fragrant, extra-virgin oil is of course the most expensive, but so flavorful that you use less of it. Most extra-virgin oils are imported from Italy or France, with the French products being somewhat lighter in flavor. Virgin olive oil, usually taken from a second pressing, has less flavor and aroma. Pure olive oil is "pure" in the sense that there are no other oils in the bottle. It is extracted from previously pressed olive pulp and pits, usually by means of chemical solvents.
Vegetable oils, derived from a variety of sources, are neutral oils that allow the flavor of the vinegar to shine through relatively unaltered. They're also useful in combination with strong-flavored oils that need to be toned down.
Sesame oils are delightful products that in fact taste like toasted sesame seeds. The light variety is good by itself or in combination with a vegetable oil; the dark, with its rich, warm flavor, is far too strong to use alone but warms up other oils.
Nut oils are splendid additions to the pantry. Almond, hazelnut, walnut—all bring a fine, nutty flavor to the salad bowl. Strong, authoritative oils, they frequently benefit from combination with others. Once opened, they must be refrigerated, or they will turn rancid. Health food stores often carry nut oils when supermarkets don't.
Homemade nut-flavored oil doesn't have the impact of oil actually extracted from nutmeats, but it's very pleasant and no trouble to make.
Nut-Flavored Oil
1 cup unblanched whole walnuts, hazelnuts (filberts) or almonds
2 cups vegetable oil
In a blender or food processor, process nuts until very finely chopped. With machine on low speed, slowly add ½ cup of the oil. Place mixture in saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add remaining oil and store in a tightly covered jar or bottle 1-2 weeks. Before using, strain oil through a piece of fine cloth or a coffee filter, place in clean bottle, cover, and store in refrigerator.
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