Red Palm Oil: what to do with it?

[Smithy]

Behold my latest impulse purchase at the grocery store!

I've never seen it before. The red color was interesting and appealing. The label claims no trans fats and no hexane. (I wouldn't have thought of hexane in food, and still don't quite know what to make of that claim.) It looks like the kind of fat that might work for frying - an issue of some research and contention around our household.

Now that I have red palm oil, what do I do with it? I'm starting to dabble in Indian and Southeast Asian cookery a little; should I save it for those, or just open the jar and let 'er rip with some chunks of chicken in a skillet? Does anyone have any suggestions, precautions or advice for me?

[lesliec]

Never seen it, Nancy.  Does it have a smell/taste?  That might guide your choice of things to cook with it.

 

I note the label says sautéeing, so go for it with the skillet.

[Smithy]

I haven't opened it yet, since our cooking plans are set for the next several days with various treatments of fresh seafood. When I open it I'll report back on the texture and odor.

That label makes a pretty attractive case for skillets and meat, doesn't it? I think that was one of the things that attracted me. :-)

[pbear]

FYI, this is predominantly an ingredient in West African cuisine, where it is used both as a general cooking fat and as the main flavoring of things like Palm Oil Chop.  A similar product, dendé oil, is used in Brazil, e.g., in Vatapá.  FWIW, I've tried many varieties of both over the years and one you got is the best I've found so far.

[Anna N]

Googling suggests it's by no means a neutral oil! Comments suggest it is an acquired taste. Let us know.

[Joe Blowe]

I agree about the taste -- first time I used it was to saute non-breaded fish filets, and the flavor really got to, uh, shine through.  I plan on using the rest of my Nutiva in much heartier stews and such.

 

You can read more about the health qualities and food applications over at Mark's Daily Apple.

[Franci]

I'd try some of the Brazilian stews like This or a moqueca

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

"Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm, and palm kernel oil from its seed. Palm oil has a reddish color due to its high beta-carotene content. Originally from western African countries, it has now expanded into Southeast Asia and has the lowest production cost of all major oils, making it an attractive export crop. Since 2006, Malaysia has the world’s largest oil palm plantation. Whilst free of cholesterol itself, because it is a saturated fat that solidifies at room temperature, it increases the body’s production of cholesterol. Its low cost makes it the base for Sunlight and Palmolive brand soaps and an everyday cooking oil in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia. Palm oil is high in nutrients, is monounsaturated, and, in its reddish form, adds natural color to fried foods such as potato. The red oil is refined, bleached, and deodorized for domestic use."

Extract from, 'Alchemy of the Mortar & Pestle', Vol.1 of The Culinary Library. D & P Gramp, 2012.

[Ttogull]

I eat with it quite frequently. It has its own taste, very distinctive. I love using it for omelettes, particularly when I add scallions. It is fantastic with potatoes, such as in hash. Somebody might have mentioned it, but it is an indispensable ingredient in red-red stew. Even in lentils it is very good.

[andiesenji]

"Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm, and palm kernel oil from its seed. Palm oil has a reddish color due to its high beta-carotene content. Originally from western African countries, it has now expanded into Southeast Asia and has the lowest production cost of all major oils, making it an attractive export crop. Since 2006, Malaysia has the world’s largest oil palm plantation. Whilst free of cholesterol itself, because it is a saturated fat that solidifies at room temperature, it increases the body’s production of cholesterol. Its low cost makes it the base for Sunlight and Palmolive brand soaps and an everyday cooking oil in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia. Palm oil is high in nutrients, is monounsaturated, and, in its reddish form, adds natural color to fried foods such as potato. The red oil is refined, bleached, and deodorized for domestic use."

Extract from, 'Alchemy of the Mortar & Pestle', Vol.1 of The Culinary Library. D & P Gramp, 2012.

I won't use palm oil because to me it has an unpleasant flavor and when I did buy it, well within the "sell-by" date, one jar was horribly rancid when opened - my entire kitchen stank.   (Also for other reasons but will not comment here.)

[Smithy]

I opened it, sniffed, tasted, and cooked my first dish with it. This must be a mild example, based on some of the posts above. I'd say it doesn't smell fruity or grassy like olive oil, and it doesn't smell like walnut oil or almond oil, but it also isn't neutral like, say, grape seed oil. It feels more heavily oily than most cooking oils I use.

I used it as the base oil for a roux in a Cajun-style bean dish: started with a roux, threw in the chopped onions, celery and peppers, added chicken broth, the last of some Rancho Gordo beans (borlotti and marrow) that I had lying around, some heavily spiced smoked sausage and no doubt some additional seasonings. Many hours later, the stew was done and it was good.

Based on this recipe I certainly didn't see anything wrong with the red palm oil. I couldn't tell whether it added anything, either, although I liked its red color. More experimentation is in order.