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The original was posted on /r/askculinary by /u/wheresWoozle on 2023-09-18 14:17:26.

Cooking napoletana sauce (I think this is what Americans call marinara) and a range of similar stove-cooked sauces, I’ve repeatedly seen the instruction to simmer until the oil floats. So you cook aromatics in oil, add tinned or puréed tomatoes and seasonings, bring to a boil and THERE’S NO SIGN OF THE OIL. It takes a considerable time for the oil to reappear on top of the sauce. (a) What’s happening to make it de-emulsify and (b) why is that thing good for the dish?