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The Chinese quickly realized
the benefits of the fat and protein in peanuts. China began
intensive, large-scale cultivation of peanuts and made peanut
oil widely available.
Peanut oil is remarkable
for its high smoking temperature, but also its aroma.
Cold-pressed, roasted peanut
oil is prized for its aroma, similar to, but not as intense
as sesame oil, and higher in yield than the sesame seed
extract. When used to stir-fry greens, an everyday dish
as common as a salad in Western cuisine, it imparts a subtle
flowery aroma that complements members of the cruciferous
family, such as the broccoli, cabbages and mustards in the
repertory of Chinese greens. Just as an extra-virgin olive
oil imparts a flavor and aroma to a tossed salad, the oil
in a Chinese stir-fry, especially of simple greens, gives
it depth. Freshly rendered lard and any cold-pressed seed
oil, especially peanut oil, is highly appreciated in traditional
Chinese cooking.
Peanut oil itself becomes
a superb base for the Sichuan chili oil, which should be
fragrant and not bitter, unlike commercial preparations
of chili oil, usually made in bleached and deodorized poly-unsaturated
oil.
Lesson: Chili Peanut Oil
Note the undertones of roasted peanuts in this oil. Try
it as a sautéing oil for spinach and other greens,
especially leafy, dark greens.
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