Palm oil is the best for deep-frying, says French chef

Langlet agrees that ‘palm oil is stable at high temperature; making it the preferred choice for frying’, which is among the messages carried on selected school buses in the Klang Valley.

CHEF DE CUISINE Bertrand Jacques Langlet has been in the food business for four decades, so when he talks about the best oils and sauces to go with which dishes, he has the authority to back it up.

The Frenchman drizzles olive oil on his salads, uses cream for his sauces, but when it comes to deep-frying, he prefers palm oil over other vegetable oils.

That is because of palm oil’s inherent ability to remain stable (resist oxidation) at high heat, he explained, which makes it ideal for frying.

As such, Langlet agrees with the message conveyed via school buses that “palm oil is stable at high temperature; making it the preferred choice for frying”.

“In cooking, it’s important to know which oil to use. It has to be of good grade and not rancid,” said Langlet, who also uses palm oil for grilling burgers, sausages and barbecue meats.

Langlet was formerly executive chef of Regent Kuala Lumpur (now Grand Millennium Hotel).

After his stint at the hotel, he went on to open the French restaurant Ma Maison in the capital, which stayed in business for 18 years and was voted Best Restaurant in 2004 by Malaysia Tatler.

While the 58-year-old is nowadays no longer barking orders as executive head chef or restaurant owner, Langlet is by no means out of the culinary scene.

He is now a private gourmet caterer who also holds cooking demos and lessons in home kitchens. Most of his clients were regulars at Ma Maison who miss his creme brulee and coq au vin.

On the suitability of palm oil in French cuisine, he said: “In my years of experience, I have not come across a customer who could tell what kind of oil was used in a dish.”

Berjaya University College School of Culinary Arts director Jochen Kern uses red palm oil for salad dressings.

“Red palm oil is full of pro-Vitamin A carotenoids and Vitamin E. You can consume red palm oil as it is, for its health benefits. You can take a tablespoon of the oil daily. It is cholesterol-free,” said the German chef.

Kern, 66, was introduced to palm oil when he came to Malaysia 16 years ago. Like Langlet, he uses golden palm oil for deep-frying as well as stir-frying.

Nicholas Boden, who has been a resident here for the past 13 years, finds that Malaysians in general cook with palm oil because it is nutritious yet affordable.

“It’s a shame that palm oil is maligned in the West because it is a sustainable commodity,” said the 39-year-old chiropractor who hails from South Africa.

There are now 30 school buses – which have been commissioned by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council under Star Media Group’s School Buzz outdoor advertising platform – plying selected areas in the Klang Valley to spread the word on the health attributes and versatility of Malaysian palm oil.

As a global leading agricultural export, palm oil accounts for more than one-third of the world’s vegetable oil production.

Malaysian palm oil is a highly versatile oil, not just for cooking and frying. It is used extensively in various edible products such as margarine, pastries and processed foods, while its oleo-derivatives can be found in cosmetics, soaps, lubricants, candles, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, paints and even electronic items.

To contact Langlet, call 012-7642416. For details on School Buzz, call 03-7968230, e-mail [e-mail] or go to www.thestar.com.my/schoolbuzz/