Oils for Salads & Finishing
A finishing oil is poured, not cooked, its whole job is flavor. This is where the beautiful oils belong: a peppery extra-virgin, a toasty hazelnut, a bright lemon-infused. A drizzle at the very end can make a simple plate feel like a restaurant.
Save the good stuff for the finish
Heat dulls a delicate oil’s flavor and aroma, so the loveliest oils are wasted in a hot pan. Keep them for drizzling over finished dishes, tossing through salads, and shaking into dressings, anywhere you’ll actually taste them.
The ones worth keeping
A robust extra-virgin olive oil for greens, soups, and grilled vegetables. Toasted nut oils like hazelnut and walnut, gorgeous on autumn salads, roasted squash, and cheese, though use them sparingly; they’re intense. And infused oils, lemon, garlic, chili, for instant flavor with no effort at all.
A simple everyday dressing
Good extra-virgin, fresh lemon or a good vinegar, a little Dijon, salt and pepper, shaken in a jar, that’s the whole thing. My Classic Lemon Vinaigrette is the one I come back to on almost everything.
My own little collection
I keep a few infused oils on the shelf because they change a dish in seconds: Everyday Mediterranean Oil for roasting and everyday cooking, a Lemon Herb Finishing Oil for fish and salads, a Garlic Chili Oil for a little heat, and an Italian Bread Dipping Oil for the table. A beautiful bottle within reach is the easiest way I know to make everyday food feel special.
A finishing oil should taste of something. Buy small bottles, keep them cool and dark, and use them within a few months, their magic fades with time.