Ask Jack: The Healthiest Cookware Options

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we welcome Jack McNulty as our guest. Ask Jack, featuring the culinary talents of professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Submit your questions for Jack to [e-mail].
Topics and Timestamps
01:31 Healthiest Cookware Options
13:18 How to limit use of oil in cooking for cookware types
16:24 Benefit of organic vs. traditional farming
17:52 Using oils to roast vegetables
22:51 Water and oil in cooking
24:52 Getting crispy textures on vegetables
27:44 Air fryer vs. oven
31:18 Applying a thin layer of oil to a pan
34:51 Cooking temperatures for fish
40:53 Making savory pastries without fat or oil
Using Oils to Roast Vegetables
The use of oils in cooking is a personal choice. Most recipes can be made entirely oil-free. Oils are mostly used in cooking to create flavor, texture and preserve moisture in the food. In other words, using oils usually amounts to personal satisfaction. Vegetables are normally 60-80% water. As the water evaporates from the surface of the vegetable it will begin to rapidly dry out. Coating the vegetable first in oil slows the loss of liquid and helps exterior sugars to caramelize - creating both flavor and texture.
Water and Oil in Cooking
Water alone boils at a standard temperature. Adding elements to the water, such as salt, can alter the boiling point but only by a small amount. Adding pressure to water (pressure cooker) can also alter the boiling point (maximum temperatures of a pressure cooker are 120°C (250°F). Adding oils to water slightly reduces the boiling point but the change is marginal. As long as water exists, oils cannot exceed the effective boiling point.
Getting Crispy Textures on Vegetables
Crispy textures on vegetables are created by caramelizing natural sugars/starches on the surface. Caramelization begins when sugars/starches reach a temperature of 120°C (250°F). This is also the point when all oils begin breaking down, although harmful elements are not produced until temperatures rise substantially more to 190°C (375°F) and held at this point for 10-20 minutes. Coating vegetables with a light amount of oil is considered Overcoming MS-safe because the surface moisture evaporating from the vegetables will prevent the oils from rising above 120°C (250°F).
The oil coating will also speed the cooking, caramelization process and prevent too much moisture loss from the vegetable. Crispy textures can be accomplished without oil, although the vegetable will taste dry, a factor that can be overcome by coating the vegetable with a dip or vinaigrette after cooking. Adding a starch to the vegetable surface prior to cooking (corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch) can help create a crispier surface without adding oils.
Air Fryer vs. Oven
Air-fryers are essentially miniature convection ovens. They rapidly circulate hot air in a small and enclosed area to promote rapid and even heat conduction. Air-fryers rely on temperature cooking of 180°-190°C (350°-375°F). The enclosed space and rapid air movement means surface temperatures of food will rise faster than in a larger convection oven - 165° vs 120°C (330° vs 250°F). Most manufacturers recommend using small amounts of oil to coat the food in order to enhance the crispy textures and prevent too much moisture loss.
Applying Thin Layer of Oil to a Pan
Certain food preparations work best when a thin layer of oil is applied to the surface of a pre-heated pan then wiped clean. Cooking thin pancakes (like crepes) is an example. When a pan is heated, metals expand and open microscopic pores (also true in non-stick pans). These pores are where food will go first and the reason something sticks to a pan. Certain pans minimize this effect with their coatings. Applying a thin layer of oil to the pan and wiping it to remove the excess fills the pores and removes the problem. This is effective when cooking thin batters. It is not necessary before each pancake or crepe, as the first one will aid in closing the pores. High heat will cause the pores to expand further and create the sticking problem faster than cooking at lower temperatures. The oils used in the coating have a minimal effect on the food’s surface and are not carried over into the food. Careful application and wiping the pan ensures this method is completely Overcoming MS compliant.
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