Spanish olive oil recipes or how to love Spanish gastronomy
2023-09-28
How about some Spanish olive oil recipes to broaden your culinary repertoire? Our two featured recipes, Spanish potatoes and Spanish sardines, are simple, quick to prepare and, above all, very tasty!
Using basic, store cupboard ingredients and loaded with authentic Spanish flavours, they will soon become your new favourite dishes.
Read on and learn how La Espanola Extra Virgin Olive Oil can help you get the most out of these recipes.
Spanish Potatoes
Ingredients (4 servings):
3 medium-sized potatoes
½ an onion
1 head of garlic
3 Tbsp of La Espanola Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup of white wine
1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp of dried rosemary
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
A handful of fresh chopped parsley
Directions:
First, peel the potatoes then rinse with cold water and dry completely. Cut each potato into thin slices 13mm thick. Grease a large saucepan with 1 tbsp of olive oil and add the potato slices. Cook on a medium heat.
While the potatoes are cooking, cut the half onion into thin slices and scatter evenly over the potatoes.
Cut a slit in each garlic glove and place it on top of the potatoes and onion.
Sprinkle everything with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper, the thyme and rosemary. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, put it in the oven preheated to 190º C and press the bake + roast option. If your oven does not have both functions, simply bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
After 45 minutes, take the casserole out of the oven and remove the aluminum foil. Pour the white wine over the potatoes and put the casserole back in the oven, this time without the aluminium foil and increase the temperature to 220º C.
15 minutes later, the potatoes should be perfectly cooked and all that remains is to sprinkle the dish with a handful of chopped fresh parsley, serve, and enjoy!
*Chef’s tips*
Try leaving the skin on the garlic. You’ll find that this not only adds an incredible buttery texture but ensures that they don’t overcook.
Spanish Sardines
If your mouth is watering at just the thought of a fish dish then this recipe, which combines sardines, olive oil and spices, is for you!
Ingredients (4 servings):
12 medium-sized sardines (fresh or frozen)
180 gm green olives
5 large sliced garlic cloves
1 medium carrot
3 bay leaves
10-12 peppercorns
¼ tsp chili flakes
225 gm La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Tbsp of salt
240 gm of water
1 Tbsp of white vinegar
Directions:
First, clean the sardines well and cut off the heads.
Place half of the olives, the carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic in a saucepan and add a single layer of sardines on top.
Add another layer and put the remaining spices and sardines on top. Sprinkle the chili flakes and salt evenly over the ingredients and pour over the extra virgin olive oil and 240 gm of water. Put the saucepan on medium-low heat and, once it boils, add the vinegar.
Let it cook for 45 minutes to an hour. If you use a pressure cooker, close the lid of the pot once the vinegar has been added, it will be ready in 30 to 40 minutes. And that’s it!
*Chef’s tips*
If you want the fish bones to be tender, you can cook them for 6 hours over very low heat. Add as much water as necessary (they must be very submerged).
Healthy eating as a priority
These recipes are not only tasty but healthy too. For example, Spanish Sardines have a high level of Omega-3. The Mediterranean diet that prevails in Spanish gastronomy is a way of life. Balanced and protein-rich, your health will thank you for it.
