Serves: 6 as an entrée

Ingredients

• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bunch coriander
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• Salt to taste
• ½ tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tbsp paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 50 ml lemon juice
• 125 ml Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• 24 medium green king prawns
• 24 x 15 cm bamboo skewers
• 125 ml thick natural yoghurt
• ½ preserved lemon, skin only, thinly sliced

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 250 g black-eyed peas (soaked overnight)
• 2 roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 200 g kipfler potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled
• 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley with stems, finely chopped
• 5 tbsp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 200 g smoked trout, flaked into chunks

While the following bears little resemblance to traditional tabbouleh – the Middle Eastern chopped wheat and parsley salad – this salad is also made of a grain, here sweet and nutty pearl barley, lots of herbs and a lemony olive oil dressing.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp Spanish olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless duck breasts, about
• 250 g each, skin cut in a criss-cross pattern almost to the flesh

In Sichuan, there is a range of dishes that emulate the fragrance of fish because the condiments used to flavour them are traditionally used for cooking fish. Blending garlic, ginger, spring onions and Sichuan chilli bean paste, these dishes are truly a joy to eat. In this dish, the eggplants are deep-fried to a buttery tenderness and are simply delectable.

Serves: 6 as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants, about 700 g
• Spanish olive oil for deep-frying
• 2 tbsp Sichuan chilli paste – to taste
• 3 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 150 ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1½ tsp sugar or to taste
• 1 tsp light soy
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with
• 1 tbsp water
• 1½ tsp Chinkiang vinegar
• 3 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 buffalo mozzarella
• 6 fresh figs (St. John from the Northern Territory)
• 50 ml extra virgin Arbequina olive oil
• 4 tbsp
• 30-year old balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper Petite salad leaves

Adapted from Toni Vicente – the chef who pioneered modern Galician cooking. While in Spain I enjoyed an inspirational dinner at her restaurant in Galicia.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 600 g monkfish, preferably cut from the boneless tail, trimmed of membrane
• 500 g zucchini, julienned
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• 50 ml Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• 8 scallops
• 1 eshallot, trimmed and chopped
• 1 tsp (5 ml) good quality red wine vinegar

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 150 ml Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
• 500 ml cream
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
• 3 large egg yolks
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, strained
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sun dried muscatels (seedless), soaked in Moscatel Sherry for 1 hour, then drained

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp slivered almonds
• 1 thin slice French bread
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 red capsicums, roasted and peeled
• 2 tbsp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 red mullet
• 50 g wild rocket
• 1 medium Turkish bread

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 375 g packet red kidney or dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight
• 2 litres water
• 2 tbsp Spanish olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 stick celery, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick rosemary
• 1 can tomatoes, crushed
• 200 g piece pancetta stesa (cured pork belly – available from your local deli) or guanciale (substitute bacon or other smoked pork), left whole
• 500 g pack small, short dried pasta – ideally ditalini or farfalline.
• Alternatively flat pasta like lasagne sheets or pappardelle (wide ribbon noodles) broken into 3 cm pieces
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Spanish extra virgin olive oil, parmesan and fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish

The inclusion of fruity Spanish olive oil in this cake lends it an almost pudding-like texture.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 cup Hojiblanca Spanish olive oil
• 1¼ cups caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2½ cups cored and peeled and coarsely cubed pears

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 kg flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 1½ cups Spanish olive oil
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1½ cups fino Sherry sugar Ground cinnamo
• Spanish olive oil for frying

Christine loves the quality and diversity of Spanish olive oils, and recommends using a fruity/herbaceous oil such as Arbequina for this colourful dish

Makes: 6 to 8 slices

Ingredients

• 6 red capsicums
• 2 large eggplants
• 3 Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch basil
• Filling
• 300 g feta cheese
• 200 g thick ricotta
• 50 g pine nuts, toasted
• Half a bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• To serve
• Baby rocket diced tomato prosciutto slices

Salmorejo is a thicker version of gazpacho – cold tomato soup – and is traditionally served in small terracotta bowls and garnished with chopped jamon and boiled egg.

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

• 200 g sliced white bread, crusts removed
• 1 kg fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 40 ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar
• 160 ml (8 tbsp) Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt Spanish extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
• shredded jamon and peeled,
• chopped hard-boiled egg, to serve

Salmorejo is a thicker version of gazpacho – cold tomato soup – and is traditionally served in small terracotta bowls and garnished with chopped jamon and boiled egg.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 375 g dessert figs, chopped
• ½ cup (125 ml) water
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 cups (300 g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ cup (125 ml) milk
• 100 ml Hojiblanca Spanish olive oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Caramel sauce
• 150 g butter
• ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
• ½ cup (125 ml) thickened cream

All around the Mediterranean there is a version of this dish using some combination of old and new world vegetables like eggplant, capsicum, garlic, potato and tomato. The French call it ratatouille; the Italians peperonata; the Tunisians mechouia. The Mallorquins add potato and call it tumbet.

Ingredients

• 3 medium red capsicums
• 3 medium eggplants (the eggplants of the Sóller valley are famed across Spain)
• 3 medium potatoes for frying
• 12 tomatoes (or good tinned tomatoes)
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• 2 onions, sliced fresh thyme or dried oregano
• 1½ cups of red wine
• Enough Spanish Hojiblanca extra virgin olive oil for medium deep frying