Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is rich in calories, yes, but it is one of the best sources of healthy fats that we can include in our diet, especially because it has more omega 3 than refined olive oil. It can be part of a salad dressing, we can also cook with it, use it to make grilled fish and meats and of course, make a ham sandwich with tomato and a splash of EVOO. In Spain there is no shortage of extra virgin olive oil that gives so much joy to the Mediterranean diet.
Chef Paco Roncero has a different way of using that oil and that is by adding texture. His restaurant on Alcalá Street, in the center of Madrid, has two Michelin Stars and three Repsol Suns and is part of the prestigious 50 Best Discovery of The World's 50 Best Restaurants. In a showcooking in collaboration with the oils of the Almazaras de la Subbética cooperative, Roncero prepared a textured oil for a haute cuisine ham sandwich using beeswax. It's what he calls “olive oil honey” and you only need two ingredients to make it.
It's not crazy, in fact it's much simpler than it seems because you just have to melt the wax and mix it with the hot oil. “Olive oil honey is made in less than half an hour with 1.25 grams of beeswax beads,” he explained, using 25 milliliters of oil and 1.25 grams of beeswax. We could make different proportions depending on how liquid or thick we want that honey, but it is always done the same way. First, the beeswax is melted in a bain-marie and mixed with the slightly hot extra virgin olive oil. We integrate well with a whisk and store in a jar or bowl until it cools and thickens.
It is very important if we want to try it at home that we use 100% pure beeswax for food use, without additives such as paraffins. What we get is a kind of texture like that of creamy butter, perfect for spreading on a ham sandwich and taking it to the next level.
It may not be for everyone, but it is a fun, and different, way to take olive oil.
