This is a cross between a Portuguese method of cooking pork and an American recipe for a barbecue sauce which I first enjoyed in house of some Californian friends. Any well flavoured Californian, Portuguese or Tuscan oil would be fine to use.

Ingredients
2 pork fillets, trimmed
150ml extra virgin olive oil
juice and grated rind of 2 limes
juice of 1 orange
a handful of freshly chopped coriander
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
plain flour

Method
Place the pork fillets in a shallow dish. Mix 100ml oil, lime, orange, coriander, garlic and cumin together and season. Pour this mixture over the pork. Leave to marinate for four to five hours, turning the fillets from time to time.
Meanwhile mix the flour with salt and pepper and keep on one side.
Drain the liquid from the meat and place in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Slice the fillets into small pieces and dry on kitchen paper. Lightly coat each piece with the seasoned flour. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the floured pork slices until cooked through. Serve with the cooked marinade poured over the top.

GREEN SALAD WITH TOMATO COULIS DRESSING

This unusual dressing from the Las Docsientas estate in Chile goes very well with all kinds of green leaves but it can also be used to finish a bowl of cooked green beans. The recipes uses Las Doscientas Blend extra virgin olive oil which is pressed from Arbequina and Picual olives among others.

Ingredients
Lamb’s lettuce
Watercress
Baby spinach leaves
Mustard leaves
Rocket
Tomato Coulis Dressing:
4 tomatoes
30ml Las Doscientas Blend extra virgin olive oil
pinch salt
pinch sugar

Method
Wash and drain the leaves and keep on one side. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and crush. Rub through a sieve to remove the seeds and skin. Place in a blender with the oil, salt and pepper and process to an emulsion. Pour over the salad leaves and serve at once.

LE BUGIE

These used to be the sweets of the poor and their name means “lies” in English. They are very simple to make but they soon disappear from the plate! Use a delicate oil like the Taggiasca based oil of Liguria. This recipe comes from the Calvi family in Imperia. You can add a little egg to make a richer biscuit but this would not have been part of the original dish

Ingredients
250gr plain white flour
grated rind of a half a lemon
salt
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
a little beaten egg (optional)
water
Ligurian olive oil
Castor sugar

Method
Mix the flour with the lemon rind, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Bind with water or a mixture of egg and water. The result should resemble raw pastry. Roll out the mixture with a rolling pin and cut into shapes. These shapes are often twisted slightly to give a cork screw effect. Deep fry in hot olive oil and dredge with sugar.