Well finding the right olive oil is a minefield, I'm the first to admit. The first thing I'd say is that only extra virgin oil will do for me. Other, cheaper olive oil is highly refined. This is never what I want. Secondly, it's a myth that you can't cook with extra virgin olive oil. You just have to avoid overheating it, that's all. A lot of my Italian dishes start with gently sautéeing sliced garlic and chilli in olive oil, gently being the operative word, no colouring up, no smoke. As soon as you add the next ingredient, tomatoes for example, the overheating potential is nullified. Same with a soffritto. I've been using a Tesco Sicilian extra-virgin oil for cooking as my go-to for a long time. It's about six quid for 500ml, but bejaysus a bottle lasts ages. I also have a superior oil for making pesto, for salad dressing, for sprinkling on a pizza or for dressing any finished pasta dish. I might spend ten to twelve quid (M&S Tuscan in the square bottle is lovely, £10, or I may go for the Sicilian or Tuscan Waitrose 1 ones, at £12-odd.). That sounds extravagant, but each bottle lasts me for months.

The only non-olive oil I use is bog-standard groundnut oil. That does for my oven chips or for frying a steak or anything else that needs real heat. Most fish in our house is fried in butter!