About the cannery
Conservas Olasagasti is based in Markina, in the Basque Country. Olasagasti works with premium anchovies and tuna caught in the Cantabrian Sea. The albacore or white tuna (Thunnus alalunga) is caught a costera or close to the coast in the summer months when it is lean and at its best. The Cantabrian anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) are fished between April and June when they are at their peak: fat-marbled ready for spawning in summer and lean from swimming in the choppy Cantabrian Sea.
Olasagasti anchovies are caught in an MSC-certified area of the Cantabrian Sea. They arrive fresh at the Basque cannery and this is when the curing process starts. Olasagasti anchovies are cured in salt barrels for nearly a year. The techniques used are more than a century old and pioneered in part by the founder of Olasagasti, Salvatore Orlando, who emigrated from Sicily at the end of the 19th Century, bringing the salting know-how he’d acquired in Italy with him. Olasagasti anchovies are saltier than Angelachu anchovies and are around the same level of saltiness as Zallo, Carmelo and Solano Arriola anchovies. The hand-prepared anchovies a la Donostiarra with garlic, cayenne pepper and wine vinegar are not salt-cured. They are more like a sardine, still rich in omega-3 but a little more oily. Donostia is the Basque name for San Sebastian, and Donostiarra is the name that the city’s residents go by.
Olasagasti Bonito del Norte tuna (albacore or white tuna) is pole and line caught to quota in the Cantabrian Sea. Catching the fish one by one is a sustainable way to fish as it avoids by-catch and damage to the sea bed. Like the anchovies, the albacore or white tuna is MSC-certified and caught in the Cantabrian Sea, a point on the migratory path of the tuna when it is lean and in optimal condition. Olasagasti albacore tuna is complemented with family recipes that have been passed down generation to generation. The cannery works with its tuna fresh and this makes it more flavoursome. Olasagasti ventresca or tuna belly is the prime cut of the fish. It has a soft, silken texture and is more flavour-dense than other cuts. The loin of the Bonito, a firmer, leaner cut, comes in extra virgin olive oil, in escabeche (vinegar and olive oil) and in salsa Catalana (vinegar, olive oil and paprika).
Olasagasti yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)has a slightly stronger flavour and a velvety texture. Caught in the high seas and prepared carefully by the Olasagasti cannery, the fillets are great on top of a potato salad with a lemon and red onion mayo, in a Niçoise salad, or on toast with slices of tomato, extra virgin olive oil, capers and parsley.
Serving tips
•A recipe by Marta Mendia of the Olasagasti family, for Gazpacho with Bonito del Norte tuna. Serves 4. Ingredients: 1 kilo of ripe tomatoes, ½ red pepper, ½ cucumber, 1 spring onion, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a splash of white wine vinegar and salt to taste, a handful of arame seaweed and 1 tin of Bonito del Norte. Method: Peel and roughly chop the tomatoes along with the pepper, cucumber and spring onion. Blitz together with the olive oil, vinegar and salt. Strain through a sieve into a jug and refrigerate for a few hours until ice cold. Hydrate the seaweed for 10 minutes. Alternatively you can sauté it with soybeans and serve as a side with the gazpacho. Serve the gazpacho in bowls and garnish with flakes of Bonito del Norte and seaweed. The consistency of the gazpacho will vary according to the liquid content of the tomatoes. Add oil, water, ice or breadcrumbs to adjust the consistency to taste.
•Try Marta’s recipe for anchovy and pink tomato salad. Serves two. Ingredients: 1 pink tomato, 50g fresh goat’s cheese, a handful of mushrooms, an avocado, a tin of Cantabrian anchovy fillets in extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Method: slice the tomato, cheese, mushrooms and avocado and arrange them in lop-sided layers with the anchovies. Add some fresh basil leaves, season with salt and pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.
•The ventresca is great enjoyed simply. Try it on toast with slices of ripe tomato, olive oil and sea salt.
