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Explore Recipes Entrees Page 42

Peppered Tuna Steaks with Olive Oil, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This recipe brings together a main and a side, each one very simple to prepare. For a heartier meal, couscous makes a great addition—you can even cook it ahead of time and fold it into the salad. ​

Ingredients

  • 4 center-cut tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarsely cracked or ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or more to taste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup pitted, brine-cured olives, such as red and/or green Cerignola, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups red and yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and diced
  • 6 large leaves fresh basil, chopped, plus extra sprigs for garnish
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Directions

Step 1

Trim any skin or dark spots from the tuna steaks, then lightly oil both sides and generously season with the pepper. Put the vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk in the remaining olive oil. Stir in the garlic, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Set aside.

Step 2

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. Arrange the tuna steaks on the grill grate and grill, turning once, until the steaks are marked on the outside and the desired degree of doneness is reached, such as 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Indoors, you can use a grill pan or contact grill, or even a cast iron skillet to sear the steaks. Transfer the steaks to plates and divide the salad between them. Garnish with fresh sprigs of basil. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Yields 4 generous servings.

Samfaina

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Similar to French ratatouille, Samfaina is a Catalonian vegetable relish that is long-cooked to a marmalade-like consistency. It is wonderful on fish, eggs, potatoes, or even toast. The key to its success is to dice the vegetables into small pieces. It will keep, covered, for several days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced very small
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and very finely diced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 red bell peppers (or one red and one green), peeled, seeded and sliced in thin strips or diced very small
  • 1 medium zucchini, peeled and very finely diced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or a 14-ounce can, drained

Directions

Step 1

Lay the eggplant pieces on two layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. After 30 minutes, squeeze out the liquid and pat dry.

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in an earthenware casserole over a flame tamer or in a Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 8 minutes.

Step 3

Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining olive oil along with the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir, then cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 4

Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt, cover again, and cook over low heat until the mixture has reduced to a thick relish, 2 to 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Before serving, allow the relish to sit for at least 1 hour, or better yet, refrigerate overnight.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from the New York Times, October 10, 2010

Rib Eye a la Plancha with Brioche Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Thick-cut bone-in rib eye steaks, sometimes called “tomahawk steaks,” are becoming common in American meat markets. One steak can weigh more than 2 pounds and can easily serve 2 to 3 people or more. They are best cooked rare to medium-rare.

Ingredients

  • One bone-in rib eye steak, about 2 inches thick
  • About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Fleur de sel
  • One small brioche loaf, crusts removed, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
  • 4 large fresh dates, such as Medjool, pitted and spread open
  • One bunch baby arugula

Directions

Step 1

Heat a cast-iron griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush generously with olive oil. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, then sprinkle one side with fleur de sel. Arrange the steak salt side down on the hot surface. When it is seared (8 to 10 minutes), season the top of the steak with fleur de sel and flip it over to cook on the other side for another 8 minutes. Continue cooking the steak, flipping as needed, until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan drippings and toast the brioche, turning with a spatula until lightly browned. Dot the bread with the mustard and season with salt, black pepper, and hot red pepper flakes, if using. Generously drizzle with more olive oil, then nestle the dates in the brioche, cut sides down. Scatter the arugula over the top and toss everything together with 2 wooden spoons as you would a salad. Heap the salad on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil. Slice the meat against the grain, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve with the salad.

Serves 2 to 3 — Recipe adapted from Mallmann on Fire by Francis Mallmann (Artisan, 2014)

Garlicky Shrimp Sauté

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Though known colloquially as “Santa Barbara spot prawns,” these sweet, buttery-tasting Pacific-based crustaceans are harvested from San Diego to Alaska. If they’re not available at your local market, buy the best shrimp you can find, preferably wild-caught.

Ingredients

  • 8 jumbo or extra-large head-on, shell-on shrimp, preferably Santa Barbara spot prawns or tiger shrimp
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 3 dried guindilla or other small red chiles
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dry Spanish sherry
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions

Step 1

Prepare the shrimp by snipping off the legs with kitchen shears. Then carefully push the shells off the bodies. Separate the shrimp heads from the tails by using a sharp knife to cut off the heads with one-third-inch of the tails attached to keep the juices inside the heads.

Step 2

Generously coat the bottom of a medium cazuela, terracotta pot, or Dutch oven with the olive oil. Add the garlic, sprinkle lightly with salt and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a sizzle, stirring occasionally, until the garlic chips start to dance and turn golden brown around the edges, about two minutes. Don’t let them burn. Transfer the garlic to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve.

Step 3

Add the chiles to the hot oil and cook, turning, until a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the plate with the garlic.

Step 4

Add the shrimp heads, sprinkle lightly with salt and cook, turning occasionally, for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp tails, sprinkle lightly with salt and cook, turning, for 15 seconds. Return the garlic and chiles to the pot and shake and swirl the pot so the garlic coats everything. Add the sherry and let the alcohol burn off, about one minute. Zest half of the lemon half directly into the pot, then stir in half of the parsley. When the shrimp become opaque and their juices emulsify with the oil into a sauce, remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, and serve immediately.

Serves 2 and can be multiplied as desired — Recipe adapted from the Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2019