Malaga regional cooking has always enjoyed a very strong reputation. Centuries-old traditional and fresh recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, creating a superb cuisine. We at The Wine & Country Club want to leave a record of some gourmet recipes by the culinary masters that Malaga province has yielded.

Let us get the master class rolling with Dani Garcia.

After reaching the pinnacle of national and international cuisine, and arguing that the pressures and expectations attached to the accolade were too much, the Marbella-born chef dropped out of the Michelin race to proceed with a free spirit and focus on what truly makes him happy – i.e. cooking. He is currently utterly devoted to expanding his business and four restaurant brands—BiBo, Lobito de Mar, Leña, and Dani Brasserie at the recently opened Four Seasons Hotel in Madrid.

Let us follow his famous Olivier Salad recipe with fresh quail eggs and tuna; a luxury bite prepared with simple and humble ingredients.

Dani Garcia’s Much-Loved Andalusian-Style Olivier Salad

Ingredients for the base mayonnaise

• 500g pasteurised egg
• 750kg sunflower oil
• 8g fine salt
• 9g sherry vinegar

Method

Emulsify the mayonnaise using a mixer or a regular balloon whisk. Set aside in the fridge.

Ingredients for the salad

• 4kg Parmentina potatoes, peeled and diced
• 340g anchovy-flavoured pitted green olives, finely chopped
• 170g olive juice
• 280g boiled egg, chopped
• 400g canned tuna
• 800g base mayonnaise

Method

Wash the potatoes well. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil over a high heat. Add the potatoes and boil them until they are tender. Drain and mash them with a whisk while they are still warm. Add the olives and the boiled egg and stir to mix. Next, add the tuna and the olive juice and mix well. When the mix is cooled, add the mayonnaise slowly. Season to taste, cover with tin foil and set aside in the fridge until serving.

Ingredients for the crispy garlic chips

• 1kg garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 500ml mild olive oil
• 10g fine salt

Method

Dip the garlic three times in boiling water. Cool under running water and dry well. Shallow fry the garlic slices in a skillet with olive oil at a temperature of 140°C, then gradually increase the temperature until crispy, crunchy, and golden brown in colour. Pat dry the garlic chips on absorbent paper, add a pinch of salt and keep warm. 

Ingredients for one serving

• 220g Olivier salad
• 80g base mayonnaise
• 1 Regana cracker
• 12g Arbequina olive oil
• 2g shichimi togarashi
• 1g garlic chips
• 8 parsley leaves, fried
• 3g salt flakes
• 6 quail eggs, fried

Method

Mix the salad and the mayonnaise, and spoon into your serving bowl. Plate it up using a metal plating ring, forming a neat circle. Make a small indentation in the top and top it with the fried quail eggs and semi-liquid egg yolk. Add a glug of olive oil and sprinkle on your crispy garlic chips. Next, add a pinch of salt and dust your fried parsley and shichimi togarashi. Garnish with a Regana cracker on the side.

The Quintessential Ronda Recipe

We cannot forget, as is to be expected, the Ronda-born cordon bleu chef Benito Gomez and his imperious two-Michelin starred Bardal. The establishment is particularly prized by the country’s top restaurants for championing local produce and advocating a farm-to-fork philosophy. Let us follow his uber popular Grilled Corn & Avocado Soup recipe.

Grilled Corn & Avocado Soup Recipe By Chef Benito Gomez

Ingredients for the corn soup

• 600g sweet corn
• 50g lemon juice
• 5g red chilli
• 6g salt
• 9g xanthan gum
• 35g sunflower oil

Method

Crush the corn kernels and get every last bit of juice by using a straining bag. Ensure you obtain 400g of juice. Next, add the rest of the ingredients and blend together well for two minutes using a Thermomix. Fill a vacuum bag with the mix and remove the air to vacuum-seal it with the help of a vacuum pump. 

Ingredients for the coriander oil

• 50g fresh coriander
• 100g sunflower oil

Method

Blanch the coriander, pat dry and leave it to cool. Grind it with a drizzle of olive oil in the Thermomix. Next, strain with a straining bag and decant.

Ingredients for the vanilla infused oil

• 50g vanilla
• 100g sunflower oil

Method

Take your vanilla beans or pods, chop them into pieces and remove the seeds. Add them directly to your carrier sunflower oil. Let the mixture sit for 48 hours.

Ingredients for the colatura oil

• 250g smoked oil
• 75g colatura

Method

Mix both ingredients and set aside for later.

Ingredients for the finish

• 2 avocados
• Corn-cob
• Freeze-dried corn
• Coriander sprouts
• Garlic flowers

Method

Brown the avocado with the culinary torch—or, better yet, cook over embers for authentic flame-grilled flavour—and add onto the colatura oil. Pour a tablespoonful of corn soup into a bowl, season with the oils, and place the avocado in the middle. Sprinkle the coriander sprouts on top and place a few tender and freeze-dried corn kernels on one side.

Bon appétit!