Salad of Gulas and Peppers in Arbequina Olive Oil

The pomegranate and the intensely fruity Arbequina oil bring out the flavor of the peppers and make a pleasant contrast with the slightly bitter endive.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 5 min.

Ingredients:

2 large, fleshy red peppers

9 oz imitation baby eels (angulas)or real baby eels (angulas)

5 cloves garlic

3/4 cup Arbequina olive oil

1 dried chili pepper

1 endive

1 very red pomegranate

Salt

Preparation:

Peppers: Wash the peppers, brush with a little oil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven, turn onto a dish and cover with paper to make them sweat and easier to peel. Peel, collecting any juices, and cut into strips. Peel four garlic cloves and slice finely. Fry half of them in half the oil until golden. Leave the oil to cool down a little then fry the pepper strips in it. Add the juices and season with salt.

Gulas: Soak the chili pepper until soft then cut into rings. Fry the rest of the garlic slices in the rest of the oil, then fry the chili pepper rings making sure they do not burn. Fry the gulas for one minute, just long enough for them to heat up and become infused with oil.

Endive: Soak the endive leaves in water for half an hour then drain, spin to dry and cut into pieces.

Cut the pomegranate in half and remove the grains with a teaspoon. Rub the serving-dish or plates for the salad with the remaining garlic clove cut in half. Arrange on them the endive mixed with the pomegranate. Mix the hot peppers and gulas with all their juices and place on top of the endive. Dress with a little cold virgin olive oil.

Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.