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Lately we have been broiling vegetables in the oven with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on them, but we keep setting off the smoke alarm in the kitchen although the vegetables come out deliciously. What oil has a high enough smoking temperature to be appropriate?

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  • Maybe a silly question, but how sure are you that the oil is what's smoking? That is to say, when I am broiling something, sometimes I'll get smoke - not from what I'm making, but from old oil or the occasional bits left on the baking stone or fallen through the rack to the bottom of the oven, or if there were stains on the pan (oil baked on, mostly) that might scorch and smoke even if the pan is clean enough to cook on. If you're not tasting burnt oil on your cooking, maybe the first step is to give everything a thorough cleaning and see if that will help prevent the smoke?
    – Megha
    Dec 31, 2016 at 2:57
  • Tray is smoking when we pull it out.
    – wogsland
    Dec 31, 2016 at 18:20
  • Ah, I see. You might get some results adding a silicone mat or parchment to the bottom of the tray (bare metal will likely get hotter than your vegetables, so any oil sitting on the pan will likely smoke more) but other than that, I guess Catija's answer covers it. Or else roast with very little oil (a high smoke point neutral one), and drizzle a bit of olive oil when you pull it out just for the flavor. Happy cooking :)
    – Megha
    Jan 1, 2017 at 4:01

1 Answer 1

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If you like the taste but not the fire alarm, either turn on your hood/vent or disconnect the fire alarm while cooking. If the flavor isn't burned, changing the oil will likely change the flavor as olive oil has a distinct flavor that is missing in other oils.

If this isn't a solution for you, choose any neutral, high smoke point oil you like. Canola is popular choice for most vegetables. It has little flavor and a decently high, 400°F/205°C, smoke point, somewhat higher than olive oil's 325-375°F/165-190°C.

For a really high smoke point, try safflower (510°F/265°C), or even light olive oil (465°F/240°C), though you may have the slightly lower soybean or peanut oils (450°F/230°C) in your kitchen already. The chart lists peanut as "neutral" but I tend to feel it has a flavor and it has the added issue of being a no-go for people with peanut allergies.

If you have the time, you might also consider clarified butter (450°F/230°C), which should be delicious with vegetables.

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  • Would a mix of canola and olive oil give the flavour without so much smoke?
    – Terry
    Dec 29, 2016 at 18:32
  • People who are allergic to peanuts can typically consume peanut oil. foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy says: "The FDA exempts highly refined peanut oil from being labeled as an allergen. Studies show that most individuals with peanut allergy can safely eat peanut oil (but not cold-pressed, expelled or extruded peanut oil – sometimes represented as gourmet oils). If you are allergic to peanuts, ask your doctor whether or not you should avoid peanut oil."
    – verbose
    Jan 1, 2017 at 2:49

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