In total, 31 restaurants from Barcelona and its surroundings are participating until December 1 in the Oil Cuisine Route “by Olis Bargalló”, a gastronomic experience that invites diners to discover the richness and culture of extra virgin olive oil through exquisite dishes made with the single-varietal varieties Arbequina and Picual, symbols of quality displayed by Olis Bargalló, a company from Castellví de Rosanes (Baix Llobregat-Barcelona), which dates back to 1850 and is today managed by Francesc Bargalló , the fourth generation of a family saga dedicated to oil.
During these weeks, the oils of this Catalan company will be protagonists in the kitchens of the participating establishments, in addition to shining on the tables, since guests will have the opportunity to taste them raw before each meal so they can appreciate the complexity of flavors and aromas of each variety.
The initiative is carried out because, being EVOO one of the essential ingredients of our cuisine, both traditional and avant-garde, its role is rarely exalted. “We want diners to learn more about the cultivation of the oil, know how to recognize the different varieties and do so by tasting it raw or in wonderful dishes that have a unique personality, whether prepared with an oil or a other,” explains Francesc Bargalló.
So, for example, At the Catalina de Gavà restaurant, Òscar Manresa offers a sauté of mushrooms with truffle and clams with the mono-varietal picualwhile with the arbequina he prepares a hummus with pickles. As Manresa points out, “each oil brings a special touch to each dish, because not all oils are the same.” And he adds: “if we want strength, structure and character in the dish, we add picual EVOO, while if we are looking for elegance and softness, the best is arbequina.”
The chef and businessman, who participated in the presentation of this Route at the La Boqueria market, remembers that AndWe are in an oil producing country “but we know little about it”even if “let’s not forget that there is no cooking without oil”.
Carlota Claver, from La Gormanda, agrees on the need to promote this product that is so ours: “Olive oil is much more than an ingredient: it is Mediterranean culture, health, flavor intense or gentle, it depends on what we are. research and our tastes. In short, Claver believes, ““It is the best ally of bread, stir-fries, a good salad and an essential without which the cuisine we know would not exist.”. During this oily course, the chef offers razor clams with spicy Arbequina EVOO pil pil, a crispy nori seaweed and citrus caviar and a tatin of seasonal mushrooms confit in picual oil accompanied by sautéed mushrooms and of a dried chanterelle.
For its part, in the Restaurant La Bonaigua in Sant Just Desvern, chef Víctor Pardo offers two cold dishes that the guest himself can season with one type of EVOO or another, “because, after tasting each raw variety at the table, he will be able to choose the one he prefers to finish the dish to his liking”, explains the cook .
Xavier Pellicer, in his eponymous restaurant, chose picual for his emblematic dish of potatoes and green beans, while Víctor Torres and Xavier Busquets of the restaurant Quirat from Barcelona created a grilled glass eel tartlet garnished with single-varietal Arbequina by Olis Bargalló.
Here are some examples of dishes that diners can enjoy in some of the restaurants participating in the “Olis Bargalló” Oil Cooking Route. The participating establishments are: Agreste, Joy, Love, Baló, Bar Mono, Bauma, Cal Mingo, Carballeira, Can Fusté, Catalina, Share, Elche, Espai Versàtil, Flash Flash, Gaig, Gresca, La Bonaigua, La Gormanda, Mae, Mediamanga, Merendero de la Mari, Pendulo, Quirat, Rías de Galicia, Semproniana, Taverna Clínic, Trapío and Xavier Pellicer.
