The ‘local’, as they call olive cheese in Zakynthos, is when cheese has matured quite hard with a strong smell and extra spicy taste. The tender beans of very fit and fish roe will give your dish a very gourmet … personality.
Serves: 5 Preparation time: 20m Cooks in: 20m Ready in: 40m
Ingredients
1 pound of string beans
1 clove of chopped garlic
1 green onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
½ cup aged vinegar
3 – 4 medium tomatoes, ripe, diced
1 ½ tsp. tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, pitted
200 – 250g. olive cheese of Zakynthos in cubes
2 tsp. fish roe
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Step 1
Scald the beans in a wide pot of salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Strain, then pour into ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the color green, then pass again from the strainer and leave them there until they cool down.
Step 2
Put back the empty pot on the stove and let it heat up over high heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic, onion, basil, oregano and half of the olive oil and sauté for 1 minute.
Step 3
Add the beans to a pan, salt and freshly ground pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes, while stirring them. With a slotted spoon transfer to a serving platter
Step 4
Add to the pot the remaining olive oil, heat over high heat and add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry for 3 minutes and then add the olives and vinegar. Cook for 3-4 minutes, always on high heat until the sauce thickens.
Step 5
Add the olive cheese, stir gently once and remove from heat.
Step 6
Empty the contents of the pan over the beans, stir gently and sprinkle with the trimmed fish roe.
Step 7
Serve warm or at room temperature
Extra Tip: The trimmed fish roe is dehydrated. You can find it in select grocery stores and supermarkets. Put a pinch before serving. It will give your dish a more sophisticated dimension.
