How much oil do you use?

[Elawin]

Another interesting article in today's news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39254804.

Although the research concluded that "social globalisation" - changes in the way we work and live - was what was making us fat, how much oil do you use?

When cooking food I use very little oil and often when following a recipe use much less than they suggest, preferring to dry fry a lot of my food rather than using oil, and draining deep fried food as well as possible before eating it. I also don't overdo oily sauces and dressings, and tend to use butter in baking rather than synthetic spreads and margarines.

 

[Cinisajoy]

This depends entirely on what I am cooking.
If I am deep-frying, I use approximately 3 liters or 12 cups. But it is used several times before changing the oil.
I have a deep fryer. Always drain the food good.
If I am cooking steaks or pork chops about 2 tablespoons of either canola oil or bacon grease.
For green beans, I either throw in some cooked bacon or a tablespoon of bacon grease.
For all other canned vegetables, 4 tablespoons of 53% margarine.
For baking I use real butter.

Now a good baked potato is my downfall. I use 2 spoons of butter/margarine (not sure what the company uses), a couple of dollops of sour cream, some cheddar cheese and a ladle of their light ranch.
We don't go there very often.

 

[sidevalve]

Now a good baked potato is my downfall. I use 2 spoons of butter/margarine (not sure what the company uses), a couple of dollops of sour cream, some cheddar cheese and a ladle of their light ranch.

 

[Elawin]

Now a good baked potato is my downfall. I use 2 spoons of butter/margarine (not sure what the company uses), a couple of dollops of sour cream, some cheddar cheese and a ladle of their light ranch.

I occasionally have a baked potato. I cheat and part-microwave them, then put them in my turbo oven to finish off. I have them with lashings of unsalted butter and black pepper.

 

[buckytom]

I use as little as possible also.

The real stickler to that would be the very rare occasion that I make fried chicken.

Another, less stickly (?) would be when shallow frying things like breaded chicken cutlets for milanese or parmagiana, or panko breaded butterflied shrimp, or eggplant/aubergine, aka an oil sponge.

 

[Elawin]

I had caramelised onions in my dinner tonight so I had to add a little oil. If I'd had normal fried onions, I wouldn't have bothered to put any oil in. Same goes for the mushrooms I had.

 

[Morning Glory]

If I'd had normal fried onions, I wouldn't have bothered to put any oil in.

How can you fry onions with no oil?

 

[Morning Glory]

I use as little as possible also.

The real stickler to that would be the very rare occasion that I make fried chicken.

Another, less stickly (?) would be when shallow frying things like breaded chicken cutlets for milanese or parmagiana, or panko breaded butterflied shrimp, or eggplant/aubergine, aka an oil sponge.

With eggplant/aubergine, I find that baking it in the oven, sliced or in chunks, drizzled with a little oil works really well. Then add it to the dish.

 

[Elawin]

How can you fry onions with no oil?

Slowly! Over a low to medium heat in a thick-based pan so they don't burn. The pan must of course be seasoned

 

[Morning Glory]

Slowly! Over a low to medium heat in a thick-based pan so they don't burn. The pan must of course be seasoned

I will try this. I have no 'seasoned' pans. Would this work in a non-stick frying pan?

 

[Cinisajoy]

I will try this. I have no 'seasoned' pans. Would this work in a non-stick frying pan?

I doubt it. I don't think you can get the pan hot enough.

 

[Morning Glory]

I doubt it. I don't think you can get the pan hot enough.

Hmm...

 

[Elawin]

I will try this. I have no 'seasoned' pans. Would this work in a non-stick frying pan?

So long as it's a decent thick based one. Heat the pan first, but don't use a very high heat - in fact, the manufacturers of my pan do not recommend it. I use a setting of 5/6 to heat the pan and then turn the heat down to 4 or 3/6 or sometimes even lower.

 

[Cinisajoy]

So long as it's a decent thick based one. Heat the pan first, but don't use a very high heat - in fact, the manufacturers of my pan do not recommend it. I use a setting of 5/6 to heat the pan and then turn the heat down to 4 or 3/6 or sometimes even lower.

You must have thicker based non-stick pans than we do. 4 or medium is the highest recommended for a non-stick pan.

 

[Elawin]

You must have thicker based non-stick pans than we do. 4 or medium is the highest recommended for a non-stick pan.

I tossed out a couple of old pans I had for my gas cooker many years ago. They'd probably melt on a ceramic hob But even when I lived in Germany nearly 50 years ago we used non-stick frying pans that required no fat or oil.