Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Breakfast Page 9

Brekky Piadina

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

My wife and I enjoyed a particularly satisfying breakfast recently at the charming D.O.C. Espresso in Melbourne’s Little Italy. Piadina, originally a specialty of Emilia-Romagna, is a kind of flatbread. If you cannot find it, substitute Middle Eastern flatbread or fresh tortillas. Feel free to create your own piadina fillings—the combination of cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, and capers is especially good.

Ingredients

  • 2 piadinas or other flatbreads (see above)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, trimmed and diced
  • 2 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ounces asiago cheese, grated
  • Handful of arugula (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to warm (175°F if your oven doesn’t have a warm setting). Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. One at a time, gently warm the piadinas, turning once with tongs. When hot, enclose the piadinas in a square of aluminum foil and place in the oven to keep warm.

Step 2

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms until they begin to brown and have given up their liquid. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the skillet. Thoroughly whisk the eggs, then pour into the skillet. Using a rubber spatula, scramble the eggs until they are barely cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Place each warm piadina on a dinner plate. Top each with half the mushrooms, eggs, cheese, and arugula, if using. Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired. Fold in half and serve immediately.

Serves 2 generously

Stone Fruit and Berry Buckle

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This recipe is sized to feed a crowd—any leftovers make a terrific breakfast the next day. Choose fruit based on availability—it’s as delicious with just one variety as it is with four or more! Right out of the oven, the buckle is exceptional when topped with olive oil ice cream, a simple frozen treat you can make at home.

Ingredients

For the crumble topping:

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

For the cake:

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature 
  • 2 cups sugar 
  • 8 large eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 cups assorted berries and stone fruit chunks (skin on) 
  • Optional toppings: fresh blueberries, confectioners’ sugar for dusting, lightly whipped cream, or ice cream

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish with olive oil; set aside. 

Step 2

Make the topping: Use your hands or a pastry blender to turn the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon into small bits, ranging from the size of peas to the size of beans. Set aside.

Step 3

Make the batter: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. With the machine running on low, slowly pour in the olive oil and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. With your mixer on a low speed, gradually add flour mixture to the wet batter until incorporated.

Step 4

Transfer the batter to the baking dish and use a large offset spatula to smooth the surface. Arrange the fruit in a fun pattern over the top and then sprinkle on the crumble, being careful to get it into the corners of the dish so that every bite includes it. 

Step 5

Bake until the top of the cake is browns lightly and the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about an hour. Serve while still warm.

Yields 12 servings

Lomo a la pobre

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Meet the Chilean version of steak and eggs, a popular breakfast option throughout the country. The dish can be made on the stovetop or grill using a grill plate, a cast iron skillet, or a plancha—a very handy flat Spanish griddle you can use right on your grill without the risk of food falling through a grill basket or the grill grates—plus, its smooth surface distributes heat evenly. For a more substantial meal, serve the lomo with oven-roasted potatoes.

Ingredients

  • Two 6-ounce filet mignons or strip steaks, each about 1 inch thick
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • One large red or white onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, or chives

Directions

Step 1

Brush the steaks on both sides with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 2

Toss the onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet, sauté the onions over medium heat until soft and lightly colored. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Over medium-high heat, sear the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes per side; cook until done to your liking. Keep warm. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and fry the eggs until done to your liking. (I prefer runny yolks. They mingle with the olive oil and make an unctuous sauce.)

Step 3

To serve, arrange the steaks on a bed of onions. Top each steak with a fried egg, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the fresh herbs.

Serves 2, but can be multiplied as desired

Broken Eggs (Huevos Rotos)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Spaniards are fond of eggs, eating an average of 237 per person per year! Surprisingly, eggs seldom appear on breakfast menus. Instead, they are served for lunch, supper, a snack, or as a tapa. Eggs and potatoes are an especially popular combination. If you are limiting carbs, substitute cauliflower florets for the potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, such as Yukon gold, cut into 1-inch pieces or halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving

Directions

Step 1

In a measuring cup, combine the olive oil, paprika,
red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, a generous grind of pepper, and 3/4 cup of water. Put the potatoes in a large skillet and pour the olive oil mixture over them. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on high until the potatoes are fork-tender, 6 to 9 minutes.

Step 2

Uncover and turn the heat to low. If the potatoes are sticking or dry, add more olive oil. Arrange the potatoes in an even layer, cut side down if halved, then add the onion and garlic to the potatoes. Cover and cook until the potatoes are golden-brown and the onions are soft, 4 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

Stir the potatoes (again, if they’re sticking, add more oil). With a spoon, make 4 nests in the potatoes and crack an egg into each. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, 4 to 6 minutes.

Step 4

To serve, break the yolks gently with a serving spoon, then scoop some potatoes and an egg onto individual plates or into shallow bowls. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and flaky sea salt.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from nytimes.com