Intense EVO Oils Three great recipes that really bring out their flavor!
Below, we’d like to share three delicious recipes with you that feature three types of single-varietal, or single-cultivar, oil.
Along with the gastronomical events organized by the Italian National Review of Single-varietal Oils, in recent years, the different single-varietal olive cultivars and their oils have been tested and various combinations have been tried by oil experts and chefs with a passion for EVOO.
What they have found is that adding a specific variety of raw oil to a recipe with specific characteristics that go well with those of the oil enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
We’d like to share three recipes with you that feature intense EVOO and truly bring out the flavors of the other ingredients and enhance the dish overall.
There are six types of single-varietal oil, and each of them has its own sensory attributes.
If you’re interested in reading more about the first three recipes that use delicate single-varietal oil, make sure to check out our article featuring three easy, tasty recipes.
But here we’d like to show you another 3 types of single-varietal oil with more intense sensory attributes.
Type 4
Type 4 single-varietal oils typically have medium to intense fruitiness and medium bitterness and pungency.
Their secondary attributes consist mainly in freshly cut grass and, to a lesser extent, artichoke, tomato and green almond.
The type 4 single-varietal cultivars are:
- Bella di Cerignola
- Biancolilla
- Coroncina
- Nera di Oliena
- Olivastra Seggianese
- Tonda del Maltese
- Verdello
So, let’s look at a recipe that goes well with an intensely fruity oil with a grassy aftertaste
EVOO gelato dusted with dark chocolate and peppermint
4 servings
- 800 ml pasteurized milk
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 200 g sugar
- 200 g type-4 EVOO
- 10 g course salt
- Half of a vanilla bean
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 5 peppermint leaves
Instructions
Pour the milk into a pan on the stove and heat it without letting it boil.
Take the milk off the stove, add the salt and sugar and allow them to dissolve.
Add the vanilla bean.
Allow the milk to cool to room temperature and slowly add the cream and EVOO.
If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in and wait until this super creamy gelato is ready.
If you don’t, pour the mixture into a casserole dish, cover and put in the freezer overnight.
Take it out of the freezer and blend the gelato till smooth.
Finally, garnish with a dusting of dark chocolate and a peppermint leaf.
Type 5
The main attributes of type 5 single-varietal oil are intense fruitiness and medium bitterness and pungency.
Its secondary attributes are mainly the aroma of leaves and green tomatoes and, to a lesser extent, delicate fresh almond and artichoke.
The type 5 single-varietal cultivars are:
- Ascolana Tenera
- Borgiona
- Gentile Dell’Aquila
- Ghiacciolo
- Nocellara Etnea
- Sperone di Gallo
- Tonda Iblea
And now for a tasty, fresh, summery recipe featuring type 5 EVOO that really brings out its tomato and grass attributes
Panzanella with EVOO
4 servings
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion from Tropea
- 5 T EVOO
- 350 g stale bread
- 350 g fresh ricotta cheese
- Basil
- Mint
- Sale to taste
Instructions
First, finely chop the onion and allow it to caramelize in a pan with a bit of water and sugar, then set aside.
Chop the cherry tomatoes into small pieces and set aside.
Cut the bread into cubes and toast a pan with a drizzle of oil till golden brown. Add salt and let cool.
Mix the crispy toasted bread with the tomatoes and caramelized onion, add a few basil leaves and a healthy spoonful of EVOO.
Set aside a few cubes of bread as a garnish.
Beat the ricotta with an electric mixer till it’s fluffy. Add basil and mint to taste.
Now, you’re ready to assemble your panzanella. Arrange a layer of toasted bread, tomatoes and onions in a transparent bowl, then spread half of the ricotta with the basil over it. Then continue with another layer of bread and another of ricotta.
Finally, garnish the dish with the bread you set aside, drizzle it with EVOO and add basil and mint leaves.
Now, let’s go on to the last type of single-varietal oil.
Type 6
The sensory attributes of type 6 single-varietal oils are intense fruitiness and pungency.
Its secondary attributes are mainly grass/leaves and artichoke and, to a lesser extent, tomato and fresh almond.
The type 6 single-varietal cultivars are:
- Ascolana Dura
- Bianchera
- Intosso
- Pisciottana
And now for a delicious recipe featuring the perfect marriage of flavors with type 6 EVOO
The Drunk Octopus
4 servings
- 1 kg octopus
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ liter red wine (preferably Merlot or Sirah)
- A few bay leaves
- Fresh chili peppers
- 6 T EVOO
- 1 bunch parsley
- Sale to taste
Instructions
Carefully clean the octopus, cut into medium-sized pieces (not too big). Sautee the garlic in the pan, add the chili pepper and the bay leaves.
Add the octopus and sauté. Add the red wine and the finely-chopped parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower the flame.
Finally, cover the pan and cook for 45 minutes.
And viola! Your dish is ready. Adjust the salt and oil to taste and serve with a nice glass of Sirah.
Try these recipes to fully appreciate the sensory attributes of these types of EVOO and let us know what you think!