Pouring on Specialty Oil Ideas

Anne Quatrano, chef-owner of Bacchanalia, one of Atlanta’s most-celebrated restaurants, employs pistachio oil in a perennial favorite menu item. “We make a boneless, stuffed quail using a house-made mortadella that we prepare with pistachio oil,” she says. “The oil really brings out the flavor of the pistachios that are already in the mortadella.”

Seeds of change

Some of the least known and yet probably most ancient of all “new” specialty oils are derived from seeds.

Sesame is thought to have originated in the wild in Africa, but was first domesticated in India. Today, China and India are the world’s largest producers of sesame seeds. Sesame oil is most popular in Asia, where it’s used like olive oil in the Mediterranean. Besides its use as a moderate-heat cooking oil in South India, sesame oil is often used as a flavor enhancer in Korean and Southeast Asian cuisine. It has a toasty, nutty flavor.

While the grape will forever be associated with wine, grape seed oil, a byproduct of the winemaking industry, has been manufactured for hundreds of years. After pressing the grapes for wine production, the seeds are separated from the skins and stems, dried, and then cold-pressed. Grape seed oil is high in antioxidants and vitamin E, and has about half the saturated fat of olive oil. Its neutral flavor and high smoke point make it ideal for not only salad dressings, but also sautéing.

The odiferous mustard seed oil is produced from the seeds of mustard plants, which are indigenous to India. It is most commonly associated with Indian cuisines, used widely in curries and stir-fry dishes. It has a slightly bitter, pungent flavor, but without the level of heat sometimes experienced with prepared mustards. Long touted for its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, it is now finding its way onto the plates of fine restaurants. “We serve a dish of house-made country terrine and drizzle a little mustard seed oil over it just before delivering to the table,” says Quatrano. “It rounds out the flavor beautifully.”

Pumpkin seed oil is derived from the Styrian pumpkin, a variety native to southeast Austria, a country that has been producing this oil since the 1600s. While primarily grown and produced in southeast Austria and parts of Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary, it has finally made its way to Canada and the United States.

“I first discovered this delicious oil while on a business trip to Austria, and after much thought, realized it is time that America began to enjoy the fruits of our own land,” says Ken Seguine, partner, Hay River Foods, Prairie Farm, WI, the first producer of pumpkin seed oil in the United States. “Seeing as though the pumpkin was first domesticated by Native Americans, this made perfect sense.” Traditionally, the oil was produced and used not only for its rich, nutty flavor, but also for its health benefits, which reportedly include helping regulate cholesterol levels and aiding in the prevention and treatment of bladder and prostate problems. Its flavor and dark-green color make it an interesting and novel choice for salad dressings and dips. It’s ideal for drizzling on pumpkin or squash soups and purées. Due to its very low smoke point, it should not be heated.

We like choices in this country, and I hope I’ve armed you with some facts to make your choices a little easier. More importantly, perhaps I’ve awakened you to the excitement and aroma of a new day when it comes to teasing the taste buds with flavorful and versatile specialty oils. Now that you know what each of these versatile oils is capable of, arm yourself with a few, go back to the bench, and start spinning those wheels of imagination.

Tamie Cook is culinary director for Atlanta-based Be Square Productions, the company which produces the Food Network show, Good Eats. She is a member of the Research Chefs Association, as well as the Institute of Food Technologists, Southern Foodways Alliance, International Association of Culinary Professionals and Les Dames D’Escoffier.