The pantry
Olive oil at the table
2026-10-02 · Adrian Stefan, Table d'Adrian
Olive
oil at the table
I keep two oils in a house when I can. One for the pan, honest and not precious. One for the plate, greener, with a smell of the fruit. Pouring the second into a hot pan is a waste. Using the first on a tomato is a missed chance.
The finishing oil goes on at the end, off the heat, in a quantity you can taste. Vegetables, fish, a soup that needs a gloss. It is not a garnish for its own sake.
Buy a bottle you can finish in the season. Oil that has sat in a sunny villa kitchen since last summer is not the oil you want on a plate tonight.