Why Bobby Flay Doesn't Use Olive Oil For High-Heat Cooking
If you're just learning the basics of cooking, one important thing to know is that there is a difference between regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. It's not just a fancier name — extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a higher quality than regular olive oil, and also has more variations in flavor. The oils have separate uses in cooking, too. In fact, you probably shouldn't be using EVOO to cook your dishes or deep-fry ingredients. Wondering why? Bobby Flay breaks it down.
In an episode of his podcast with his daughter Sophie, "Always Hungry with Bobby and Sophie," Flay dives deep into the ingredients that you're likely stocking in your pantry. Flay shares that his pantry staples include multiple types of oil, including EVOO. Flay explains of the oil, "I don't usually heat it up very often because it can get really bitter very quickly." Instead of cooking with EVOO, Flay uses this to finish off his dishes because of the rich texture, which he compares to a sauce.
What kind of oil does Bobby Flay recommend cooking with?
Since Bobby Flay doesn't cook with extra virgin olive oil, it makes sense that one of his other pantry staples is one that he does cook with, like canola or peanut oil. In the podcast with Sophie, the Iron Chef says that these types of oils have a higher smoke point. According to VeryWellFit, this means the oil will withstand being heated to higher temperatures before it starts to smoke.
The cooking oils that have the highest smoke point include avocado oil and refined vegetable oil, and peanut oil is also up on the list. In fact, if you don't have canola oil handy, Flay recommends avocado oil as a substitute for canola oil. He called avocado oil "healthier," and added that another benefit of this oil is that it's great for deep-frying foods because of the high smoke point.