Foodies Festivals are delighted to announce that legendary olive oil company La Española are joining us as sponsors of our Chefs Theatre in 2023.

Founded almost two centuries ago, La Española is the oldest olive oil company in Spain and has become of the world’s leading brands. As a food lover, you’re probably already familiar with the benefits of using olive oil in your everyday cooking. Whether you use it to fry, grill, roast or drizzle, it’s an endlessly versatile ingredient that’s great for adding extra flavour to your food. Plus, it’s high in unsaturated fats, making it a healthier alternative to butter in both cooking and baking. Each bottle is made using 100% Spanish olives, grown locally on farms in the Andalucía region, for the most authentic taste. Keen to try yourself?  Experience La Española at your local Foodies Festival this summer.

Spanish Manchego Cheese & Vegetable Flan
made using La Española Olive Oil

Ingredients
For the olive oil pastry:

• 350 g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150 ml La Española Olive Oil
• 125 ml cold water

For the filling:

• 200 g small new potatoes
• 400 g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
• 100 g fresh peas
• 300 ml crème fraiche
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 50 g finely grated Manchego
• 2 tbsp La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180ºC, Gas Mark 4. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

• Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Pour in La Española Olive Oil and stir with a fork until a soft, ragged dough forms, gradually add the water. Gather into a ball with your hands and knead gently on lightly floured surface for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic.

• Roll out the pastry of a lightly floured surface, so it is slightly larger than a 23 cm flan tin and line the tin. Trim off any excess, then prick the based with a fork. Chill for 20 minutes.

• Cover the base with baking paper and fill with ceramic baking beans. Bake on the preheated tray for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans, return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until golden.

• Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted boiling water for about 20 minutes until tender, add the asparagus and peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Cut the potatoes into half or into thick pieces, reserve some of the asparagus tips.

• Beat together the eggs, cream and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• Add the vegetables to the tart case and scatter over the cheese, pour over the egg mixture. Return to the oven and cook for 35 minutes until set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

• Mix the reserved asparagus tips with La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil and spoon on top of the tart. Serve in slices with salad.

To learn more about La Española and for more delicious recipes, visit laespanolaoliveoil.co.uk