It’s a question that we’ve all asked ourselves in the kitchen: should we or should we not add oil to the pan when cooking with butter to prevent it from darkening? The answer, in reality, is not so simple… and depends on the smoke point. Julie Boët, dietitian-nutritionist, disentangles the truth from the false on this subject.
Butter and oil: two fats with different smoke points
Butter brings an incomparable flavor to everyday dishes. But it has a big drawback: it has a relatively low smoke point. In other words, the temperature at which it begins to burn is quickly reached. And when it burns, it loses all taste: it gives off a pungent odor and gives a bitter taste to food.
“Butter contains around 80% fat, the rest being made up of water and milk proteins, which explains why it darkens or burns quite quickly when cooked: these milky residues caramelize at 120-150°C.confirms Julie Boët.
Oil, for its part, is a 100% lipid fat, without water or proteins. It is therefore more resistant to cooking over medium or high heat (180 and 230°C). “This is why some add a drizzle of oil to butter: to increase its “smoke point” and prevent it from burning,” admits the expert.
As a bonus, depending on its origin (olive, sunflower, rapeseed), the oil provides monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids, beneficial for cardiovascular health.
So, is it necessary to combine oil and butter in cooking?
Not necessarily, says the expert. “Butter alone is often enough to cook foods properly if used over moderate heat“, she confides. Then, the oil does not really “protect” the butter: “the smoke point of the mixture depends mainly on the quality of each fat. If the butter is clarified (ghee), it already withstands temperatures close to 200°C, without requiring the addition of oil. And if you choose a good olive, rapeseed or peanut oil, you can cook without butter, while maintaining the flexibility of fats and cardiovascular protection. continues the expert.
Excess fat… which you should be wary of
If the butter and oil combo is well anchored in the habits of the French, it is not necessary to resort to it… Especially if you want to preserve your health a little. Indeed, this excess fat remains problematic, recalls the specialist.
“Doubling butter and oil amounts to increasing the quantity of fats without technical or taste utility. Over time, this increases the caloric intake of the meal, promotes chronic inflammation, overloads the liver and can contribute to excess LDL cholesterol if the overall diet is rich in saturated fats”, warns Julie Boët.
Thinking about the quality of fats consumed based on temperature is also important. Oils rich in omega-3 (such as rapeseed or flaxseed oil) are excellent for your health… but remain sensitive to heat: they oxidize and lose their benefits if they are heated to high temperatures.
“Conversely, saturated fats such as those from butter or duck fat are more stable when cooked, but must remain consumed in moderation to preserve the arteries. We can therefore adapt the fat to the type of cooking: gentle or fast with a little butter or olive oil, high heat rather with ghee or peanut oil”, concludes the dietitian.