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Crown Roast of Lamb

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This is an elegant yet easy dish that will wow your guests. A crown roast is simply two racks of lamb, 7 or 8 chops each, tied together at the ends to form a circle. You can do it yourself with butcher’s string or ask your butcher to assemble it for you. The meat is traditionally prepped in the French style, meaning the thin ends of the lamb bones are neatly trimmed of meat, fat, and membranes. When served as an appetizer, this creates a handle for what’s often called lollipop chops. As a main dish, it makes a dramatic presentation when ringed with the Creamy Mushroom Ragoût opposite. If presenting the roast whole, you can also fill the cavity with roasted potatoes that were cooked separately.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons very finely minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary needles, fresh or dried 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper One crown roast of lamb, preferably grass-fed, French-trimmed

Directions

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Place the crown roast, meat side down, in a pie plate or bowl wide enough to hold it. Drizzle the marinade over the meaty part of the chops and let sit for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Preheat the heat to 425°F. Place a flat rack inside a large roasting pan and transfer the roast to the rack (still meat side down). Roast the lamb until an instant read thermometer registers between 130° and 134°F for medium rare, about 30 minutes (test after 25). Out of the oven, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4 to 6

Black Garlic Aioli

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Move over, ketchup! This is about to become your favorite dip for fries and roasted potatoes as well as the perfect panini condiment. A Microplane grater is ideal to make the zest and grate the garlic.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest 
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated 
  • 1 teaspoon Savory Black Garlic 
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
  • 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard 
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt 
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately. 

Yields about 3/4 cup

Zesty Beef Kebabs

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The ingredients in my Middle Eastern Chili Blend make this recipe a snap. Try it with chicken cubes, fish chunks, and hearty vegetables, too. The kebabs are delicious on their own, with grilled veggies or over rice, or tucked into a pita or other Middle Eastern bread with tomatoes, shredded lettuce, onions, and cucumber-yogurt sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Middle Eastern Chili Blend
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin or top sirloin, cut into 1 1/2–inch cubes

Directions

Step 1

In a large glass bowl, whisk the chili blend into the olive oil. Add the beef chunks and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight. 

Step 2

When ready to cook, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate. Thread the meat onto 2 or 3 metal skewers. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 130°F (it will continue cooking once off the grill). Transfer the skewers to a platter and let the meat rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil before serving. 

Yields 4 servings

Fabulous Focaccia

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Flatbreads like focaccia are very forgiving—you don’t need to be an expert baker to create this crispy-on-the-outside, spongy-on-the-inside Italian classic. In fact, it’s the perfect beginner recipe to take the mystery out of dough-making. Plus, you can customize the toppings to your taste—slivered onions are at the top of the list for many. Leftover squares can be sliced horizontally and turned into panini.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 
  • 2 cups warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for dipping
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5 cups all-purpose, bread, or 00 flour, plus more for kneading
  • Provençal Rosemary
  • Very coarse sea salt

Directions

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the yeast, water, and honey for a few seconds. Allow the yeast to bloom (get foamy), about 5 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the fine salt, and flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. The dough will still be somewhat sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl as you lift it. If it’s too sticky to handle, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, bloom the yeast, water, and honey in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and then the flour, mixing with a large spatula and then with your hands. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured countertop, flour your hands, and knead until smooth, about 7 minutes. 

Step 2

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a clean, large bowl. With lightly floured hands, form the dough into a ball and roll it in the olive oil. Place the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour. (If you poke it with a fingertip, it should spring back right away.)

Step 3

Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 13×9 metal cake pan and rotate the pan to coat it well. Punch down the dough and turn it into the pan. Use your fingertips to press it out to the edges and into the corners of the pan. Use your fingertips or knuckles to make a pattern of indentations in the dough. Cover the pan with your kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450°F.

Step 4

Just before baking, go over the indentations if needed. Drizzle the final 2 tablespoons of oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle on the rosemary needles and coarse salt as desired. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the focaccia is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut and serve with olive oil for dipping. 

Yields 10 generous servings