Ina Garten Finally Answers The Butter Vs Oil Saute Debate

When it comes to sauteing, some cooks prefer using butter for its rich taste, while others turn to a neutral oil with a high smoke point. However, chef Ina Garten uses both.

Per her book "Cook Like a Pro," "[c]ombining oil and butter gets the best of both worlds — the high burning point of oil for a … crispy crust and the delicious flavor of butter."

That said, combining butter with oil doesn’t really raise its smoke point, so you’ll have burned milk solids in your dish anyway. Still, there are some pros of combining the fats.

As shown on "Barefoot Contessa," for her shrimp scampi pasta, Garten combines a large amount of oil and butter to make the base of her sauce and adds in some garlic and raw shrimp.

Cooking shrimp in both fats brings out the buttery flavors while also ensuring the sauce doesn't taste acrid from burning. Hence, Garten’s hack balances flavor with practicality.

Then again, sauteing shrimp is less likely to result in smoking butter as the shellfish has a short cooking time. However, even if the butter does burn, the oil will dilute it.