Let’s discover the difference between delicate and fruity extra virgin olive oil.

The world of EVO Oil.

The fruity

The fruity EVO is an oil that is obtained from olives at the beginning of maturation. The main characteristic is that it has an intense aroma and a fruity, slightly spicy taste.

Advice on the best uses of fruity extra virgin olive oil.
There are many uses but it is undeniable the goodness of this oil to season bruschettas, legumes, pinzimonio and meat dishes.

The recipe to match:

Remember that red meat wants a well-structured oil! for this reason today we propose a classic combination: fruity EVO oil and a nice Florentine steak.

Ingredients:

Florentine steak of 1 kg
Extra virgin olive oil
Halls
Pepper

Procedure:

After having chosen a nice cut of meat with a fairly evident marbling and with a suitable thickness (at least 4 cm), have it lightly marinated with salt, oil and pepper, remember at least a couple of hours before cooking to remove the Florentine steak from the fridge.

The next step is to place the steak on a baking tray covered with kitchen paper. In the meantime that the coals have made the right ashes, we can place our meat on the grill. According to our tastes we can choose to cook more or less the meat.

Finally, after having chosen to cook our meat (rare, medium or well cooked) let it rest on a cutting board for a few minutes and season it again with a nice round of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

The delicate

The delicate EVO is characterized by being a very valuable oil, obtained from ripe olives and cold extracted at the end of the season.

This oil goes very well with fresh dishes such as salads and vegetables. Excellent to season raw and fish dishes.

So… after briefly explaining the main characteristics that distinguish these oils, you did not feel like tasting them?

The recipe to match:

Not everyone likes fish and not everyone knows how to cook it, but with the right final round of oil, your dish will certainly taste different!

Monkfish (or monkfish tail) with cherry tomatoes and fruity extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:

4 slices of monkfish
450 g cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of capers
2 tablespoons of olives
1 clove of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil
halls
black pepper
Procedure:

To make the monkfish with the cherry tomatoes first of all start washing well and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. In an earthenware or non-stick casserole, heat 4 tablespoons of oil. Add the chopped clove of garlic, let it flavour and then add the cherry tomatoes. Stir well and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Always remember to adjust the cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper by adding the fish slices. Cook them for 5 minutes taking care to turn them, with extreme delicacy, at least once.

Once the monkfish is cooked, add the olives (black or green to taste), the chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Let them season for another two minutes and serve the slices of monkfish with cherry tomatoes.

Last but not least, a nice round of delicate extra virgin olive oil and the dish is served.

One step away from becoming an EVO oil sommelier.

Point number 1

Knowing how to recognize a good extra virgin olive oil is a quality that few have. Let’s discover how to become an EVO oil taster in a few simple steps.

Sensory skills and patience are the first characteristics that belong to a good taster because this work, besides being very interesting, is made of very meticulous moments (especially before a performance).

Tools useful to a taster

The EVO oil sample that you are going to taste (you can use a plastic coffee glass), must contain 15 ml of oil and the temperature to maintain is about 28° C (you can heat the glass in the palm of your hand turning it on itself several times).

Prizes and defects

To be called a good taster you need to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of EVO Oil. If the oil turns out to be fruity, spicy, green, bitterish with a herbaceous scent, then it’s time to say it: it’s a high quality olive oil!

Through our sensory skills we discover not only the merits, but also the defects, in fact, if the oil you are going to taste is sour (or avvinato), heated, rancid and with a woody taste is automatically deduced that that is not a good oil to consume.

The right moment

The right time to taste an olive oil is surely the morning one because during the day (especially before meals) our olfactory-gustatory sensibility increases and we may have a non real perception of the EVO oil that we are going to taste.

Tips

If you’re a smoker, I advise you, at least an hour beforehand, not to smoke. If you are a lover of perfumes, lipsticks and cosmetics in general you should make a little effort: it would be appropriate not to use them because they can also affect our olfactory sensitivity.

It’s your turn

What are you waiting for? Try some extra virgin olive oil and let me know how your experience goes!