Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Salsa Verde

This is an easy and flavorful entrée, and so healthy, too. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, and salmon delivers Omega-3 fatty acids. Win-win!

Ingredients

  • 1 skinless side of salmon, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 loosely packed cup of roughly chopped dill fronds
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish that fits it with at least 1 inch around all sides. Coat the salmon fillet (top and bottom) with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Bake until the salmon is opaque on the outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into
the thickest part of the fillet reads 130°F for medium, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the salsa verde: Toast the fennel and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and crush to a rough powder (or crush the seeds with a heavy skillet on your cutting board). Finely grate the zest from the lemon into a bowl then halve and juice the lemon into the same bowl. Stir in the crushed spices, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the dill and walnuts. Season the salsa verde with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Remove the salmon from the oven and spoon the salsa verde all over the top of the salmon. Let the fillet rest for 5 minutes, then serve family-style straight from the baking dish.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe from latimes.com

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

This is a substantial, very satisfying breakfast. It’s great for brunch or overnight guests. We like to serve it with freshly squeezed fruit juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/2 pound uncooked thin spaghetti
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
  • 4 large eggs
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese, optional

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

Step 2

Warm a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic and add the remaining oil.

Step 3

Fry the eggs gently in the oil until the whites are just about set and the yolks are still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do this. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste and serve immediately. Top with the cheese.

Serves 2-3 — Recipe from nytimes.com

Sicilian-Style Swordfish

Known as “the doyenne of Italian cuisine,” Marcella Hazan recommends pricking the fish with the tines of a fork as a genius way of delivering the flavors of the sauce deep into the meat. This recipe was selected by the staff at Food and Wine as one of the magazine’s top 40 published recipes. The preparation is also excellent with tuna or halibut.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds swordfish steaks, cut 1/2-inch thick

Directions

Step 1

Light a grill or preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice with the salt until the salt dissolves. Stir in the oregano. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season generously with pepper.

Step 2

Grill the swordfish steaks over high heat, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter. Prick each fish steak in several places with a fork to allow the sauce to penetrate. Using a spoon, beat the sauce, then drizzle it over the fish. Serve at once.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe from foodandwine.com

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Garlic, and Rosemary

Elegant enough for guests yet simple enough for weeknights, this one-pan dish will soon become one of your go-to dishes. (If you don’t want to cut up a whole chicken—not always the least expensive option—buy thighs, breasts, or even legs.) Serve with a nice rosé or an effervescent Lambrusco.

Ingredients

  • One 4-pound roaster chicken, cut into 8 pieces 
  • 4 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth, dry white wine, or water
  • 1 medium bunch of red seedless grapes (about 2 cups), divided into small clusters
  • 1 large garlic head, separated, cloves peeled (15 to 20 cloves) 
  • 1 small bunch fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken pieces with the salt. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange the chicken pieces in the skillet, skin sides down and cook until the skin is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat
and transfer the chicken to a plate.

Step 2

Deglaze the pan: Add the chicken broth to the hot skillet, stirring and
scraping up any brown bits, called the fond. Add the grapes, garlic cloves, and rosemary to the skillet. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, skin sides up, nestling them between the grape clusters. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Step 3

Roast in the preheated oven until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken pieces registers 165°F, 22 to 25 minutes. (If using chicken legs, roast to 170°F.) Let the chicken rest 10 minutes, then sprinkle with black pepper.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from foodandwine.com