If a US recipe specifies 'vegetable oil' what type of oil should I use in the UK? The recipe requires heating the 'vegetable oil' to exactly 375 degrees Fahrenheit with the aid of a candy thermometer.

But aren't most oils made from vegetables? Some have a smoke point less than 375.

I'm thinking of using groundnut (peanut) oil or rice bran oil as they can both cope with the temperature and don't impose too much taste.

Are there any culinary transatlanticos who could please venture an opinion on my proposed plan?

I also need to find out what the UK equivalent of 'yellow squash' is. Could it be our readily available butternut squash?
Peanut (groundnut) oil is a great option.

In the US vegetable oil generally means soybean oil or a soybean oil blend. The main things are that it be neutral (little or no taste of its own), with a high smoke point. On those scores, you can't do much better than peanut oil.

I have not used rice bran oil.

Yellow squash generally means this:



(the long one)

It can also mean the other yellow vegetable in the picture or this:



What it is not, is butternut:



That is a different flavor entirely. Yellow squash is more like zucchini, butternut squash is more like pumpkin.

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