New Tuscan oil: the best recipes to enhance it

When the first cold weather arrives in Tuscany and the mills work at full speed, new oil appears in the houses (or new oil): bright green, fragrant, with that typical spicy flavor in the throat and an elegant bitterness that tell the story of the richness of polyphenols and the freshness of the fruit. It's more than a condiment: it's a ritual that unites the countryside and the city, families and friends, snacks improvised and laid out tables.

In this article we discover history and culture of this product of Tuscan tradition, as choose it and keep it, and above all recipes, from appetizer to dessert, to enhance its qualities.

What is new oil

It is the first extra virgin of the oil field, obtained from olives harvested soon (between late October and November, variable by area and cultivar) and molite quickly. The sensory profile depends on the Tuscan cultivars, Oil mill, Moraiolo, Leccino above all,  and from’cold extraction which preserves aromas and structure. It's an oil more intense compared to that “stabilized” of the following months: notes by artichoke, cut grass, almond, tomato leaf, a net spiciness and a vibrant bitterness that make it unmistakable.

Filtered or unfiltered?

• Unfiltered: veiled appearance, “juicy” sensation, should be consumed soon (ideally within 2–3 months) and stored with greater care.
• Filtered: more stable over time, it maintains aromatic sharpness longer.

How to store it

USA dark bottles or rather in stainless steel, away from light and heat, close immediately, do not rack constantly. Ideal temperature 14–18 °C. Never near the stove.

Tradition: from the olive press to the “fettunta”

In Tuscany the inaugural tasting is sacred: Tuscan bread toasted, garlic (optional), a generous rain of oil, it goes up and, for purists, nothing else. It is the fettunta, also called Tuscan bruschetta, which allows you to assimilate this product in its purity: fruity, bitter, spicy, balanced. Often the rite follows the visit to the crusher or accompanies the new oil festivals in the villages.

Savory recipes that make the oil shine  

Golden Rule: New Oil it doesn't cover; yes exalt. Prefer sweet cooking or use it raw as a finish.

1) Fettunta “classic” and variants

• Classic: toasted sciapo bread, rubbed garlic clove, oil, salt.
• With black cabbage: blanched leaves of black cabbage 2–3 minutes, return to the pan with garlic, salt and a drizzle of oil. Complete raw with a round of new oil.
•  With bird beans: spoonful of stewed beans on the slice and oil flush.

2) Reboiled “finished”

Prepare the reboiled (bread, kale, cabbage, cannellini beans, carrots, celery). When serving, turn off the heat and let it rest one minute, then season each bowl with a generous spoonful of new oil. The green aroma of the oil ignites legumes and brassicas.

3) Tomato soup in winter

Preserves peeled tomatoes quality for winter. Stew garlic and a little chili pepper in very little oil, combine tomatoes, vegetable broth and stale bread. With the fire off, manteca with oil and basil/fennel. The fruity green binds with the acidity of tomato and the sweetness of bread.

4) Mantecato cod “Tuscan style”

Cook the desalted cod in milk and bay leaves; drain, remove skin and thorns and manteca by hand with oil added slowly, a little cooking milk, pepper and lemon zest. Serve on hot crostoni: the bitterness of the oil cut fatness with elegance.

5) Vegetables and legumes: the rule of “little cooking, lots of raw”

•  Rosemary chickpeas: cook the chickpeas with rosemary and garlic; complete the dish with oil and pepper.
• Artichokes in a pan: tender wedges cooked with white wine and mint; just on the plate, new oil and salt flakes.
•  Crushed potatoes: boiled and mashed new potatoes with olive flush, salt and parsley: perfect simplicity.

6) Sea “raw-cooked”

• Curly or tuna tartare: with crispy fennel, orange zest and new oil.
• Warm octopus: boiled, cut and seasoned raw with oil, parsley, lemon: the bitter part gives depth.

7) Meat and hunting

•  Florentine steak: grilled cooking, rest and then oil flush with coarse salt and pepper.
• Beef cut with arugula and pecorino flakes: the oil harmonizes the taste ferrous of the meat and flavor of cheese.

First courses and pastas  

Spaghetti garlic, oil and chili pepper

Proceed classic but cools slightly the pan over heat and add the oil only at the end so as not to disperse its scents. Churn with cooking water, parsley and toasted breadcrumbs.

Crumb pici and new oil

 I pici Sienese with crunchy crumbs become extraordinary when seasoned raw just before serving. The crisp/green contrast is irresistible.

Winter salads and cold dishes

• Fennel and orange salad: salt, pepper, black olives and new oil: a classic that values the herbaceous tones.
• Artichoke carpaccio: very thin gills with lemon, pecorino and olive.
• Warm spelt with black cabbage, roasted pumpkin and oil for seasoning for those looking for a bowl nutritious.

Desserts with extra virgin

• Donut: replace the butter with oil in part (30–40% of total fat) for a profile fruity and one long softness.
• Apple tart: in the shortcrust pastry use a mixture of extra virgin and mild seed oil; the oil used in row after cooking, intensify the aromas herbaceous and of almond.
• Fiordilatte ice cream with oil and salt: a round of new oil and a pinch of salt of Maremma turn a simple dessert into a great pairing.

Pairings and Tasting: How “to Read”  

1. View: intense green
2. Smell: fruity medium to intense, herbaceous, artichoke, tomato.
3. Taste: bitter and spicy in balance; tingling in the throat is a good sign of freshness.
4. Pairings: raw on legumes, brassicas, grilled meats, tasty fish; excellent with pecorino cheeses.

Conscious purchase

• Freshness: look for directions to oil campaign and bottling date.
• Transparency: read the label carefully (origin, cultivar, olive press).
• Taste: if you can, taste in the oil mill or at the oil festivals: it's the best way to choose according to your taste.

New oil is season, territory, and culture in a single gesture: open the bottle and let it run raw on bread, soups, fish, meat, and even sweets. It is the green voice of the Tuscany, an ingredient that does not cover but illuminates. With these recipes, from fettunta to refined ribollita, from pici to crumbs to creamed cod, to desserts with olive oil, you can bring all the simple and authentic magic of new oil to the table.