SHELL FISH SALAD WITH CORIANDER DRESSING

This dish has a real Asiatic feel to it so serve with chilled noodles dressed with olive oil and splash of roasted sesame oil. It makes an excellent buffet dish or it can be served as a first course for a special meal. Look for a good quality lemon flavoured olive oil such as Positively-good-for- you evoo from Calabria or Colonna from the Molise.

Ingredients:

• 100g very thin green beans
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and roughly chopped
• 1 avocado, Stoned and diced
• 50g white bean shoots
• 150g peeled prawns
• 1 x 150g can white crab meat drained
• 4 sprigs of coriander
• 1 lemon cut into 6 wedges, optional

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
• 3 tbsp finely sliced coriander leaves
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp chilli paste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil with lemon

Method:

1. Cook beans in boiling water, then drain, refresh them in cold water and drain again.
2. Place beans in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the diced tomato, eggs and avocado.
4. Place beans shoots (remove any damaged shoots) in a bowl, cover with boiling water and drain after 30 seconds.
5. Allow to cool then add to the bowl with the vegetables.
6. Mix the peeled prawns and crab meat and place in another bowl.
7. Next make the dressing by mixing the shallots, sliced coriander leaves, soy sauce, chilli paste and lemon flavoured olive oil in a jug.
8. Season the vegetables with half of this dressing, and the crayfish and crabmeat with remaining dressing.
9. To serve, arrange the vegetables on a large platter and top with the shellfish.
10. Garnish with sprigs of coriander and lemon wedges if liked.

PISSALADIÈRE WITH FILO PASTRY

The Languedoc Rousillon region of France is home to the original Pissaladière. This version uses filo pastry and so is much easier and quicker to make. Use plenty of extra virgin olive oil to brush the leaves of pastry.

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets filo pastry
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1kg onions, peeled and sliced
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 x 50g can anchovies, drained and chopped
• 2lbs tomato puree
• freshly ground black pepper
• 12 black olives

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. To make the filling, heat half the olive oil and gently fry the onions for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Do not allow the onions to brown.
4. Add the tomatoes, anchovies and tomato puree and season with black pepper.
5. Cut the sheets of filo pastry to a size large enough to line a large flat pie plate.
6. Brush each sheet on both sided with the remaining olive oil and arrange each sheet on top of each other on the pie plate.
7. Spread the onion and tomato mixture over the pastry base and dot with olives.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is crispy and cooked through. Serve warm.

WHITE FISH STEAKS WITH SHERRY VINEGAR SAUCE

This is traditional way of serving white fish from Northern Spain dish so look for a Catalonian extra virgin olive oil like Mother’s Garden, Belazu or Estornel. The original recipe uses fresh fish caught off the coast near Barcelona and my friends there use the local Romanico extra virgin olive oil from the Agroles co-operative.

Ingredients:

• 4 small pimentos
• 4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil from Catalonia
• A few teaspoons of sherry vinegar
• 4 good-sized white fish steaks, cod, haddock or hake

Method:

1. Set the oven to 200C.
2. Roast the pimentos and whole garlic in the oven for about 20 minutes until they are beginning to brown.
3. Cover and leave to cool before removing the skin from both vegetables.
4. Next make the sauce. Pour 100ml olive oil into a sauce pan and add the sliced garlic.
5. Heat gently for 2-3 minutes. When the garlic is brown add the Sherry vinegar and continue cooking for a further two minutes. Keep warm.
6. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the fish steaks for a few minutes until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through
7. Add the roasted vegetables and serve with the sauce poured over the top.

If you are interested in more recipes using extra virgin olive oil, including two more recipes from Morgenster, see “REMARKABLE RECIPES from the people who really know about extra virgin olive oil – the producers” at for kindle and for itunes or for the new paperback edition with two more recipes from Morgenster contact me at judyridgway@btinternet.com.