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Spanish Tuna, Potato and Green Bean Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Similar to a classic French niçoise salad, this Iberian version uses fresh tuna steaks rather than tinned tuna. Enjoy it for lunch or a light supper. We wouldn’t say no to a glass or two of txakoli or other dry Spanish white wine.

Ingredients

  • 2 tuna steaks, each about 6 ounces
  • Extra virgin olive oil, plus 1/3 cup for the dressing
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
  • 10 ounces green beans, trimmed
  • 6 ounces small tomatoes (such as Romas), cut into wedges, or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika), or more to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 6 ounces spring greens or butter lettuce

Directions

Step 1

Brush the tuna steaks on both sides with olive oil. Drizzle with the lemon juice, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 2

In the meantime, heat a large cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat and film the bottom with olive oil. Sauté the tuna steaks, turning as needed, until done to your liking. (We prefer ours medium-rare, i.e., still pink in the center.) Let rest for 3 minutes, then thinly slice each steak, removing any dark parts. Set
aside, covered and refrigerated.

Step 3

Place the fingerling potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 10 minutes or until you are able to stick a fork through the potatoes without resistance. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the water and transfer to a plate for now. Do not discard the water.

Step 4

Prepare a large bowl with ice water and set aside near the pot.

Step 5

In the same cooking pot, with the water boiling, add the green beans. Cook for 4 minutes or so. Drain, and immediately place the green beans in the ice bath to stop cooking. When cooled, remove the green beans from ice bath and pat dry.

Step 6

Cut the fingerling potatoes in halves lengthwise and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the green beans, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and hot red pepper flakes. Add the sliced tuna. Combine the 1/3 cup of olive oil with the vinegar and whisk. Pour the oil-vinegar mixture over the salad and toss gently to lightly coat the ingredients. Taste, then adjust the seasoning as desired.

Step 7

Arrange spring greens or butter lettuce on a nice platter and top with the dressed tuna and vegetables.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from the mediterraneandish.com

Endive with Pears and Gorgonzola

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If you’ve shied away from strong blue cheeses in the past, Gorgonzola dolce, sweeter than regular Gorgonzola, is a great introduction! The walnuts and pears add to the sweetness, a great counterbalance to the endive

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnut halves
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
  • 6 ripe Seckel pears or another small variety, halved through the stem ends 
  • 1/2 cup pear nectar
  • 1/4 cup pear balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons honey, or more to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 heads endive or radicchio di Treviso, or 3 of each
  • Six 1-ounce wedges of Gorgonzola dolce or your favorite blue cheese

Directions

Step 1

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts until fragrant, and then transfer them to a small bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and heat the oil. Use a small melon baller to remove any seeds from the pears and then place them, cut sides down, in the oil and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and reserve. 

Step 2

To make the vinaigrette for the salad, use the same pan, increasing the heat to medium high. Add the pear nectar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture is reduced by half, then whisk in the honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 1/3 cup of olive oil. Taste, adding more vinegar, honey, salt, and/or pepper as needed. 

Step 3

Trim the endive and remove the leaves from two of the heads; arrange them on 6 salad plates. Slice the 4 remaining heads crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and divide among the plates. On each plate, arrange 2 pear halves, a wedge of Gorgonzola, and a few of the walnuts. Lightly drizzle each dish with the vinaigrette. 

Yields 6 servings

Spicy Cabbage and Chorizo Soup

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Cabbage is ubiquitous in Portuguese vegetable gardens and on Portuguese tables. This flavorful soup reminds me of the wonderful meals I’ve enjoyed at Filipe Madeira’s table, nearly all featuring cabbage in some guise.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 8 ounces cured Spanish chorizo (approximately
  • 2 1/2 links), sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste 8 cups water
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small green or savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
  • One 15-ounce can navy or great northern beans
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Step 1

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large stockpot or cast iron pot set over medium-low heat. Add the onion and chorizo and let cook, stirring occasionally until the onion softens, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the mixture turns fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 2

Add the water and potatoes. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3

Add the cabbage and beans and simmer until the cabbage wilts, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice and taste to adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and serve drizzled with additional olive oil.

Serves 8 — Recipe from Saveur, February 2012

Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

While fresh spinach is preferred in this popular Catalonian dish, which can be served as a side dish or appetizer, feel free to use frozen leaf spinach.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh baby spinach (stem, if the spinach is more mature)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons raisins or sultanas, soaked in water or sherry for 20 minutes, then drained
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Wash the spinach thoroughly in plenty of water. Drain, and put the leaves and 1/4 cup of water into a large pot. Cover the pot and put over high heat until the water begins to boil. Lower the heat and steam the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leaves wilt into a soft mass.

Step 2

Sauté the pine nuts briefly in the olive oil in a large skillet, shaking the pan or stirring constantly (don’t take your eyes off them), until they just begin to color. Add the raisins and spinach and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn’t scorch. Add a few drops of lemon juice, if desired.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden (HarperCollins, 2011)