Original Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is a finishing oil, not a workhorse frying fat. Single-origin, cold-pressed, early harvest, so it carries pepper and green-fruit notes that fade fast once heat hits them. Keep it off the stove and use it where it can actually be tasted: over grilled fish right before it hits the plate, whisked into a vinaigrette with nothing to hide behind, poured into a shallow dish for bread service. A little goes further than you expect because the flavor is upfront, not muted. Buy a smaller bottle and go through it in a few weeks rather than letting a big tin go flat in the pantry. This is the bottle you reach for at the pass, not the one you dump into a sauté pan.