Judy Ridgway

Olive Oil Quality, Taste and Flavour

Know Your olives: Arbequina

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Groves owned by the Romanico co-operative in Catalonia

The Arbequina olive is extremely versatile and popular with both growers and consumers. It offers good yields and is happy growing in regions far away from its native Catalonia. The oil usually has a relatively gentle taste with tones of apples and nuts without too much bitterness and pepper which makes it a very useful oil for growers to blend with oils from other varieties. It is also a good choice if you do not want too robust an oil.

You may well have thought that the Arbequina variety originated in Andalucia as there are a good many more groves planted with Arbequina in this region than in Catalonia.  One of the reasons for this spread across Spain, and indeed to many countries across the world. has been its high yeild efficiency, particularly in the modern super-high density groves.

California was one of the first countries to use the arbequina variety in this way, closely followed by Argentina where it is the most prominent variety. It is also widely planted in Chile and even pops up in Peru.  Australia and New Zealand also grow the variety.

Prominent European producers with Arbequina oils on sale in the UK include Vea L’Estornel in Catalonia, Castillo de Canena, Oro Bailen in Jaen, and Merula from Marquise de  Valdueza in Extremadura where it is blended with oils from other varieties grown on the estate.  Look out too for Belazu early harvest Arbequina and Brindisa Arbequina oil from Navarra.

Here are some recipes which show off the versatlility of the oil  in dishes originating in Spain, Switzerland and France.

Ripening Arbequina olives

SWISS MOUNTAIN FRIED BREAD AND CHEESE

 This makes an excellent snack or you could serve it as a savoury at the end of the meal.  You can use any Swiss mountain cheese but I like Appenzell the best for its particularly intense flavour. The Swiss would certainly use butter to fry the bread but extra virgin olive oil is just as good and infinitely healther!

Ingredients:

  • 4 large slices of day-old brown bread
  • 150g Swiss mountain cheese, cut into thick slices
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Cinnamon or nutmeg to taste
  • 3 tablespoons white wine
  • 4 tablespoons Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablesoons of your favourite chutney
  • 4 small sprigs of flat leaf parsley

Method:

Arrange two slices of bread in a shallow container and top with the slices of cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the cheese and sprinkle with cinnamon or grated nutmeg.   Pour the wine evenly over the top. Leave to stand for an hour or until required.

Heat the butter and most of the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Transfer the two layers of bread and cheese to the frying pan.  Press well down and fry on both sides until crisp and brown, adding a little more oil when you turn the slices over. This will take about five minutes in all. Serve at once with a spoonful of chutney and a small sprig of parsley

GREEN GAZPACHO                                                                

This delightfully fresh summer soup makes a real change from the better known red Gazpacho.  It is versatile enough to serve at the start of a smart dinner or to eat while waiting for the barbecue to heat up.  It comes from Ana Sanchez at Pago Baldios San Carlos in the Caceres region of Extremadura in western Spain.  Here the Arroyo del Cañe ranch is farmed under biodynamic principles according to the phases of the moon. Ana recommends using their Full Moon extra virgin olive oil which is harvested under the October moon. This oil is pressed from a blend of Arbequina and Cornicabra olives.

Ingredients

  • 100g green lettuce leaves
  • 100g spinach leaves
  • 50g watercress or rocket
  • 2 green apples, cored, peeled and chopped
  • 450g green tomatoes
  • 25ml Pago Baldios San Carlos Full Moon extra virgin olive oil
  • 300ml water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 25ml sherry vinegar

For the garnish:

  • Slice white bread
  • 8 cherry tomatoes
  • Beansprouts

Method

Wash the salad leaves in plenty of cold water.  Drain well and shred using a sharp knife.

Place all the vegetables in a blender with the apples and tomatoes and pulse at medium speed for a few minutes to puree. Add the extra virgin oil, water and vinegar until you have a liquid soup. Season to taste.

Place in the fridge to chill for half an hour before serving or serve with ice cubes in the soup.

To prepare the garnish, brush the slice of white bread on both sides with olive oil and fry in a dry pan until crisp.  Cut into small cubes. Cut the tomatoes in half. Arrange the garnish ingredients in small bowls.

Serve the soup in good sized bowls and pass the garnish round separately.

Modern mill in Catalonia

FRICASSEE OF WHITE FISH AND COURGETTES

You can use any kind of firm white fish filets, but in France the choice would probably be sole. Here in the UK you might prefer the softer plaice.  Ask the fishmonger to remove the skin and cut larger fish into thin slices.

Ingredients:

  • Allow 2 small courgettes per person, coarsely sliced on the slant
  • Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Allow four small fish fillets per person
  • potato flour (ordinary flour can be used but is not as delicate)
  • beaten egg
  • capers, washed and drained or table olives stoned and chopped

Method:

Fry the courgette slices in plenty of olive oil until well browned on each side.  Season about half way through the cooking.  Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven.

Mix the flour with seasoning and put on a flat plate.  Out the beaten egg into a bowl. Add more oil to the pan and heat up.  Coat the fillets of fish first with the seasoned flour and then with the egg.  Drop into hot fat and fry on both sides for about 1-1½ minutes each side until cooked through.

Arrange on plates with the courgettes to make an attractive pattern.  Sprinkle with some capers and drizzle with more olive oil.

BREAKFAST MUFFINS

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These light and fluffy muffins make a great weekend breakfast. They are very quick to make and do not need anything adding to them. They freeze well too, so store left over muffins if any in the freezer and warm up quickly in a hot oven.

  • Ingredients
  • 125 plain flour
  • 125 wholemeal flour
  • 3 level teaspoons baking powder
  • 200g blueberries
  • 2 eggs
  • g extra virgin olive oil
  • 100ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Set the oven to 190C/Gas 4 and lightly oil 12 muffins tins.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, crushing just a few of them with a fork.  Mix the wet ingredients with a fork and pour over the dry ingredients.  Mix well and spoon into the prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through to the centre.