Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Entrees Page 59

Spanish Cod with Celery Salsa Verde

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

We often detect celery leaf–like flavors in the superior-quality oils we deliver to your table and were excited to find the following recipe. It uses celery leaves in a deliciously creative way. 

Ingredients

  • For the salsa:
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
  • For the cod:
  • 2 skinless cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 lemon wedges, seeded 

Directions

Step 1

Make the celery salsa verde: In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mustard, and salt. Stir in the celery leaves, mint, parsley, and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt as needed. 

Step 2

Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet, warm the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully lay the fillets in the hot oil and cook until the sh separates into opaque white flakes. Transfer to dinner plates. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and the celery salsa verde 

Serves 2 — Recipe adapted from Jamesbeard.org 

Grilled Cauliflower Fajitas

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of the best things about fajitas is that you can stuff them with anything that suits your fancy. If dairy’s not a concern, shredded cheese is a winner, and so is a dollop of sour cream. If you want to double up on the veggies, add some shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and more onions and peppers. Half the fun is letting everyone put together the combo of ingredients they like best. This recipe was adapted from a dish served at El Toro Blanco, a wonderful Mexican restaurant in New York City.

With over 6 percent of Americans identifying as vegan and millions more describing themselves as “vegetarianinclined,” a meatless main course option belongs in your recipe repertoire.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, green leaves and stem removed
  • 1 orange or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon merquén or pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and basil, stemmed and chopped
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo
  • Lime wedges

Directions

Step 1

Cut the cauliflower into florets and slice the red and poblano peppers into long strips. Place the cauliflower, peppers, and onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the ancho powder, merquén or pimentón, cumin, salt, and olive oil and add to the vegetables, tossing until they’re thoroughly coated. Transfer to a grill basket.

Step 2

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and then grill the cauliflower mixture until slightly charred and tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, transfer to a platter, and sprinkle with the pine nuts and herbs. While the grill is still hot, warm the tortillas. To serve, let each person fill two tortillas with equal amounts of the cauliflower mixture and top with salsa or pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from El Toro Blanco, New York, NY

Garlicky Herbed Chicken

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Halving or spatchcocking the chicken enables it to cook faster—a plus on busy weeknights. To spatchcock a bird, place it breast-side down and remove the backbone with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Flatten with the palm of your hand.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, halved or spatchcocked
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions

Step 1

Toast the fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small plate and let cool. Finely grind in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle.

Step 2

Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with half of the fennel; season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cook the bacon in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of bacon fat. Increase the heat to medium-high and carefully place the chicken halves, skin side down, in the skillet, pressing down so skin makes good contact with the surface of the pan. Cook until the skin is golden brown and starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Step 4

While the chicken rests, add the garlic, parsley, oil, lemon zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, and remaining fennel to the bacon. Mix well; season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken drizzled with the pan juices and topped with the bacon mixture.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2016

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Maintain a cool kitchen by taking the party outside. The key to tender flank steak is to cook it to medium-rare, then slice thinly on a sharp diagonal.

Ingredients

For the salsa verde:

  • 1 1/2 cups packed, roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained
  • 1 to 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated zest from 1 lemon
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the steak:

  • One 2-pound flank steak Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Make the salsa verde: Place the parsley, olive oil, capers, anchovies (if using), vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until parsley is well chopped, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.

Step 2

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Step 3

In the meantime, set up your grill or grill pan for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. Generously season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the flank steak for about 3 minutes per side, or until done to your liking. Let rest for 2 minutes before carving thinly against the grain on a sharp diagonal. Serve with the salsa verde.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club