Nigella Lawson’s Favorite Pantry Staple Is a Cheaper Alternative to Olive Oil

Nigella Lawson has had an incredible career: deputy literary editor of The Sunday Times at 26, best-selling author many times over, star of many cooking shows. And now, she’s the newest host of The Great British Bake-Off, replacing our beloved, statement necklace queen, Prue Leith. For us, though, Nigella will always be remembered as the woman who pronounces microwave as mee-cro-wah-vay.

Regardless of how you know her, you know that the Domestic Goddess has good taste. She’s known to splurge on artisanal butter, carry Maldon sea salt flakes in her purse, and keep a tiny, magic whisk as a secret weapon. But her desert island ingredient is a surprise. Nigella swears by a specific brand of rapeseed oil.

As she told The Times, she never allows herself to run out of Farrington’s Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil. “It’s a wonderful oil, and brings an uplifting golden color to everything. I rather love how in winter it glows at you. I adore extra virgin olive oil, but it’s nowhere near that price.”

Though rapeseed oil is popular in the U.K., it’s not as well known here in the States. That said, you’ve probably had it—at least, a form of it. Canola oil is, essentially, a type of rapeseed oil. Both oils are made from the rapeseed plant, which is in the cabbage family. But canola oil is made from a genetically altered rapeseed plant. In the 1970s, some folks up in Canada bred a type of rapeseed plant that didn’t have any erucic acid or glucosinolates. It’s designed to be extremely neutral and good for cooking at high temperatures.

Traditional rapeseed oil, though, can be quite flavorful, particularly when it’s cold-pressed. Farrington’s (Nigella’s pick) is described as being nutty and buttery. And, unlike olive oil, it still has a fairly high smoke point so you can use it to cook at higher temperatures.

Want to try it yourself? While it’s not as cheap here as it is in the U.K., you can still snag a bottle online for just over $20, which is still cheaper than most good olive oils.

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.