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Pear Salad with Blue Cheese, Olive Oil, and Mint

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

South of Melbourne is Tasmania’s King Island, recognized around the world for its outstanding dairy products. One of them is a particularly unctuous waxed blue cheese known as “Roaring 40s Blue.” It is named after the punishing 100 km/hr winds (62 mph) that bedevil the latitude of 40°S. If unavailable, substitute your favorite blue cheese, such as gorgonzola or Roquefort.

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe red Bartlett pears, halved, cored, and cut into thick wedges
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 8 ounces blue cheese, preferably from King Island, brought to room temperature and cut into wedges
  • 12 dates, pitted
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, toasted and lightly crushed
  • Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style white bread

Directions

Divide the pears among 4 salad plates and season with salt. Arrange a wedge of cheese and 3 dates on each plate. Drizzle with the olive oil and garnish with the mint and peppercorns. Serve with the sliced country bread for dipping in the olive oil.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Mallmann on Fire by Francis Mallmann (Artisan 2014)

Cauliflower, Cashew, and Coconut Curry

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Curries have been popular in Australia since the 19th century, reportedly helping newly arrived British colonialists adapt to the island continent’s unfamiliar proteins, like wombat and kangaroo. Here, we offer you a vegan version of the dish.

Ingredients

  • One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 green chile, roughly chopped (seeded if you prefer less heat)
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 1 1/4 pounds), broken into bite-size florets
  • One 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup unsalted cashews
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves chopped, for serving
  • 1 lemon wedge, for serving
  • Cooked basmati rice, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Place the ginger, garlic, and green chile in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. Mash until a paste forms and set aside. Alternately, finely chop the ginger, garlic and green chile together, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then mash into a coarse paste using the flat portion of your chef’s knife.

Step 2

In a large skillet with a lid, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, chile powder, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Stir in the cauliflower and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry the cashews, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Step 5

Add the peas and garam masala to the cauliflower mixture and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Step 6

Top the curry with the cashews, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon just before serving. Serve with a big steaming bowl of basmati rice.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen by Meera Sodha (Flatiron Books 2015)

Pasta with Silky Eggplant Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

When food writer Francis Lam’s recipe appeared in Gourmet magazine more than a decade ago, it was called “Let-My-Eggplant-Go-Free! Spaghetti,” a rather curious moniker. And one that doesn’t hint at how satisfying this rather homely dish—Italian peasant food at its best—really is. Whatever you call it, add it to your repertoire.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
  • Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme or oregano, chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 1 pound uncooked long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine
  • 2 tablespoons minced oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes
  • 6 basil leaves, slivered
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Lightly salt the slices of eggplant, stack them back together, and let them hang out for 20 minutes in a strainer. Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy saucepan over low heat and add the garlic cloves.

Step 2

Dry off the eggplant and cut it into chunks. When you start hearing the garlic sizzle a little and can smell it, drop in your eggplant and stir to coat it all with oil. Turn up the heat a little bit to mediumhigh, add the thyme, and stir. When the eggplant starts to turn translucent and soften, add the liquid and let it come to a boil, then turn it back down to medium-low. Let it bubble for a bit and cover it, leaving a crack for steam to escape. Stir once in a while, so the bottom doesn’t scorch.

Step 3

While the eggplant is softening, bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it, and cook the pasta to al dente. Check on the eggplant while the pasta cooks. The liquid should be mostly absorbed or reduced after about 20 minutes. Once the eggplant looks mashable, mash it up with a spoon and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. It should be silky-smooth and garlicky and humming with oil.

Step 4

Drain the pasta and toss with the eggplant purée. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and pepper and gild the lily with some more olive oil and a handful of cheese before serving.

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a starter — Recipe adapted from Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook (Ten Speed Press 2015)

Barramundi a la Vinaigrette

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of the most pleasurable evenings I ever spent in Australia was cooking dinner in the kitchen of food entrepreneur Melissa Wong and her husband, Robert. A simple vinaigrette, whipped up in minutes and serving as a salad dressing, a marinade, and a sauce, is the unifying factor in this dish. If you can’t find barramundi—a popular fish down under—halibut, cod, or another mild white fish is equally delicious. The quick-pickled red onions are a great condiment for this and many other dishes.

Ingredients

For the pickled onions:

  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the vinaigrette:

  • Juice and zest of a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as dill, flat-leaf parsley, and oregano

For the main dish:

  • 4 barramundi fillets, each 6 to 8 ounces
  • 4 loosely packed cups of baby arugula, spinach, or mixed greens 
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
  • 1 lemon, quartered

Directions

Step 1

Make the pickled onions: Thinly slice the red onion into rings and place them in a pint canning jar. Bring the water and apple cider vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar and salt and pour the liquid over the onions. Let cool to room temperature before serving. 

Step 2

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Whisk until the salt and honey dissolve. Slowly add the olive oil, continuously whisking until the vinaigrette emulsifies. Stir in the minced herbs. Taste the vinaigrette, adding more vinegar or salt and pepper as desired. Pour 2/3 of the vinaigrette into a separate container and set aside.

Step 3

Place the fish fillets on a rimmed sheet pan and lightly brush both sides with the 1/3 of the vinaigrette from the mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Step 4

Toss the greens, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved vinaigrette to lightly coat and divide among 4 plates. Top with equal amounts of the pickled onions. 

Step 5

Light a grill or preheat a well-oiled stovetop grill pan to medium-high. Arrange the fillets, skin side down, on a well-oiled grill grate or in the preheated pan. Cook until the edges begin to turn opaque, 2 to 3 minutes for thin fillets and 4 to 5 minutes for thicker fillets. Carefully turn and cook the other side until the fish is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more, taking care not to overcook them. Arrange a fillet on each of the prepared plates. Drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette and garnish each plate with a lemon quarter. 

Yields 4 servings.