Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Entrees Page 28

Avocado Tartine

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The word “tartine” is just a fancy name for open-faced sandwiches, which can be served anytime. Merquén is a popular Chilean spice mix that can be purchased in a well-stocked spice store or online.

Ingredients

  • Two 1 1/2-inch slices seven-grain bread, or your favorite rustic bread
  • A large, perfectly ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chilean merquén (optional; see above)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • About 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Hot red pepper flakes

Directions

Step 1

Toast or grill the bread so that it’s dark and firm. Scoop the avocado into a bowl, add the merquén, if using, and lightly mash/chop the mixture with a fork or pastry blender until relatively smooth.

Step 2

Spread the avocado from edge to edge of the toast, mounding it
slightly in the center. Transfer to serving plates. Drizzle olive oil over so that it rolls off the avocado onto the plates.

Step 3

Repeat with the lemon juice. Shake or grind on some salt and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Slice the toast on the diagonal for serving.

Serves 2— Recipe adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Eggs in Purgatory

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Though it’s not clear why the dish is named as it is, we find these eggs, bathed in a savory tomato sauce, more heavenly than hellish

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 20 ounces ripe cherry tomatoes
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, preferably rainbow
  • 6 large eggs
  • 4 thin slices country-style bread
  • 1 lemon
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or more coarse salt
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves

Directions

Step 1

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When it just starts to shimmer, add the garlic and season generously with coarse salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is just turning golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot red pepper flakes, then add the tomatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes look plumped and some of the skins start to split, about 2 minutes.

Step 2

Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook, stirring the tomatoes every couple of minutes, lightly smashing them with a wooden spoon to encourage the release of juices, until the mixture is saucy and the tomatoes are slightly deflated but still hold some shape, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, strip the leaves off the Swiss chard stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Reserve the stems for your next sauté or stir-fry. Transfer the leaves to a medium bowl.

Step 4

Reduce the heat under the tomatoes to medium-low (the sauce should be bubbling gently). Carefully crack the eggs into a cup (try not to break the yolks), then slip them one at a time into the tomato mixture, spacing them evenly apart around the perimeter of the pan. Season the eggs with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 4 to 6 minutes.

Step 5

While the eggs are cooking, toast the bread until crisp. Drizzle with olive oil, then firmly rub the outside of the lemon onto the toasts to release the aromatic oils from the peel (you’ll smell it!). Sprinkle the toasts with flaky salt.

Step 6

Squeeze about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the Swiss chard greens, then toss in the basil. Drizzle some olive oil over the mixture and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss again to combine.

Step 7

To serve, carefully scoop an egg out of the pan, spooning it up from underneath to keep the yolk intact, and transfer it to a small shallow bowl. Spoon extra sauce around the egg and sprinkle with flaky salt. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Serve with the Swiss chard salad and toasts alongside.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from bonappetit.com

Pork Marbella

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Both salty and sweet, this savory dish riffs on Chicken Marbella by substituting pork tenderloin for chicken. (Please do not confuse small pork tenderloins, usually about a pound each, for pork loin, which is a much larger cut.)

Ingredients

For the chimichurri marinade/sauce:

  • Two 1-pound pork tenderloins
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup dry white wine, preferably Spanish
  • 1/2 cup pitted prunes, torn in half
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup capers, plus 1 tablespoon of caper brine
  • 1/2 cup Spanish green olives
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Season the pork with salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade: Combine the wine, prunes, brown sugar, capers and brine, olives, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the pork, seal tightly, pressing as much air out of bag as possible, and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Step 2

Place a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool 1 minute. Pour the reserved marinade over the pork. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast, basting the pork once with its sauce halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 145°F, 22 to 26 minutes, depending on thickness.

Step 3

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Slice the tenderloin crosswise against the grain. Transfer to a platter and spoon the pan sauce over the meat.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe from bonappetit.com

Marinated Rib-Eye Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Called chuletón in Spanish, these rib-eyes can be cooked indoors or out. To get more mileage (aka servings) from the steaks, thinly slice them on a diagonal after cooking and shingle on a large platter with the chimichurri sauce.

Ingredients

For the chimichurri marinade/sauce:

  • 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the chimichurri marinade/sauce:

  • Two 8- to 10-ounce rib-eyes, each at least 1 inch thick
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade/sauce in a medium bowl and whisk to mix. Set aside half the marinade for serving. Place the steaks in a sturdy resealable bag or in a baking dish large enough to hold them and pour the remaining half of the marinade over them. Marinate the steaks for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the steaks from the marinade and scrape off any excess. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or plancha (a Spanish griddle) on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the steaks to the pan and cook, turning once or twice with tongs, until done to your liking, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Alternatively, cook the steaks on an outdoor grill, either charcoal or gas. (Note: Really thick steaks can be browned in the frying pan or on the plancha, then transferred to a 400°F oven to finish cooking.) Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates. Serve with the reserved chimichurri sauce.

Serves 2 generously — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club