It may seem strange at first, but a good olive oil completes the flavor of the cake.
Recently, during a lunch promoted by the Spanish Azeites de Oliva, the already traditional sweet O Ovo, by chef Helena Rizzo, was finished with one of the olive oils from the countryside. At first, this change in dish, which is egg yolk ice cream wrapped in coconut foam, was strange. But when you pop a bite of this dessert into your mouth, it all makes sense. The olive oil enhances the sweet flavor of the dish.
“Extra virgin olive oils are great options to use in sweets and desserts. Many people turn up their noses because they have never tasted a real extra virgin olive oil. It can be used both in the finishing of desserts and as an ingredient in recipes,” he says Glenda Haas, olive oil sommelier and producer of Lagar H olive oil, produced in Brazil.
However, first you need to think about the harmonization of olive oil with this dish. Isabel Kasper, professor of gastronomy at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre and researcher in sensory analysis with olive oil, was responsible for harmonizing the olive oil with chef Helena Rizzo’s dish at lunch at Azeites de Oliva in Spain. According to her, first of all it is necessary to understand the scope and taste of olive oil.
“One thing to watch out for is intensity. Quality oils will show intensity, such as fruity and nature. They will also be bitter, which is a quality and not a fault of the oil, as many think. indicates the presence of polyphenols. The balance between bitter, spicy and fruity will guarantee the quality of the oil”, explains the expert. “That’s why you have to be careful when pairing them. If you have a lot of spices, a lot of pepper, you can’t have a smooth oil. Otherwise you’ll only notice the characteristics of the dish. Furthermore, it’s not possible to present a smooth dish, like fish, with a very heavy oil, you’ll probably just see the oil.”
What is the ideal dessert to combine with olive oils?
In the case of sweets, this rule of softness presented by Isabel Kasper also applies. After all, if you add a very intense oil to a more delicate dessert, you could end up creating a new product, where the oil takes over all the flavor. Dulce de leche, red fruit cheesecake and mousse are some of the dishes that harmonize well with olive oil, but need a little more softness.
“Generally, we use softer oils for creams, mousses. But it’s not a closed rule,” explains Isabel Kasper, on the best options. “It can be more intense olive oil with dark chocolate, for example. So, more intense olive oil will go with it. Citrus also accompanies more intense olive oils. It’s worth a try.”
It is also worth making desserts with olive oil, such as ice creams and mousses, as well as replacing the fat with olive oil. The thing is, by learning more about the good olive oils on the market, you can start to hear which options are best for you. “I think when people start this process of learning about good olive oil in desserts, it’s easiest to use it with simpler foods like vanilla or chocolate ice cream, dulce de leche, cheese with guava paste, yogurt with muesli and fruit, or, for example, changing the oil in dessert recipes. And once you understand your personal taste, the sky is the limit,” says Glenda.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
