Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Cooking

Why cook with extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil isn’t just for finishing or dipping. It’s a stable, nutritious cooking oil with unique antioxidants (polyphenols) that protect the oil during heating and transfer benefits to your food. Choosing a high‑phenolic EVOO means better flavour and greater resilience under heat, ideal for everyday cooking.

Key benefits:

• Rich flavour: Fresh green, fruity notes and a pleasant peppery kick.
• Nutrient retention: Hand‑harvested, cold‑extracted oils keep their natural antioxidants.
• Cooking stability: Phenolic compounds support stability during sautéing, roasting and even deep‑frying.
• Health benefits: EVOO contains anti‑inflammatory polyphenols and heart‑healthy fats.

How The Governor tastes and performs
Our oils come from Corfu’s Lianolia olives, picked early to retain high polyphenol levels. Expect a robust aroma, grassy fruitiness and balanced pungency, a profile that holds up in the pan and shines when drizzled over finished dishes.

How to use high‑phenolic olive oil

• Daily serving suggestion: Around 20g (roughly 2 tablespoons) a day is associated with health benefits for very high‑phenolic oils; 1 tablespoon can be sufficient.
• Cooking methods: Sautéing, roasting, pan‑frying and even shallow frying are all suitable. Use higher volumes or longer heating times with care, but rest assured EVOO performs well in most recipes.
• Finishing touch: For salads, soups and grilled vegetables, a final drizzle of The Governor elevates flavour and aroma.

Cooking with EVOO
It’s a common myth that EVOO has a low smoke point and so isn’t suitable for cooking. In fact, high-quality EVOO typically has a smoke point between 190 °C and 230 °C (≈ 375 °F to 450 °F), which safely covers many everyday home-cooking methods.

Here’s how EVOO performs across different kitchen techniques:

• Sautéing / pan-frying (≈ 160 °C-190 °C / 320-375 °F): Perfectly suited for EVOO, the oil’s profile enhances flavour whilst retaining its beneficial fats.
• Oven-roasting / baking (≈ 160 °C-190 °C): Again, safely within EVOO’s usable range. Ideal for vegetables, fish or meats when you want great flavour and health benefit.
• Deep-frying (≈ 175 °C-190 °C / 350-375 °F): It’s possible with EVOO, though due to cost and practicality, many people reserve this for occasional use rather than daily frying.
• Stir-frying/high-heat methods (≈ 200 °C-230 °C / 400-450 °F): This pushes the top end of EVOO’s safe range. With constant movement and good ventilation, it can be used, but care is needed.
  

This makes EVOO a superior choice compared with refined seed oils, which are chemically processed and stripped of valuable compounds.

Storing your olive oil
Keep your EVOO away from heat and light. Store bottles in a cool, dark cupboard away from the oven and windows. For our premium oils, keep them in the protective box to preserve freshness and flavour.

Recipes & inspiration
Explore our favourite ways to cook with EVOO: from vibrant dressings and quick sautés to comforting soups and weekend roasts. Visit our Recipes section for step‑by‑step ideas and seasonal inspiration.

Join the Governor family, sign up for our newsletter for recipes, seasonal offers and news from our olive groves in Corfu.