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Olive Oil-Fried Eggs with Za’atar

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If you’re not familiar with it, za’atar is a fragrant spice blend that originated in North Africa, but is very popular throughout the Mediterranean basin. You can buy it at larger supermarkets or online, or you can make your own. See recipe below. If desired, serve the egg with warmed pita bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 large farm-fresh egg
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons za’atar (see below)

Directions

Step 1

Crack your egg into a ramekin or small dish.

Step 2

Warm a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olive oil. Tilt the pan to distribute the oil and watch for the oil to shimmer.

Step 3

Carefully slide the egg into the warmed oil. Season with salt and the za’atar. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, spooning some of the olive oil on top, until the white is firm, the edges begin to brown, and the yolk is done to your liking. (If you like firm yolks, you can cover the pan for 30 seconds more.) Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of za’atar.

Serves 1 — Recipe adapted from themediterraneandish.com

Note: To make za’atar, combine 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon sumac or black lime, 2 tablespoons dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a spice grinder, small food processor, or a mortar and pestle. Grind to combine, but avoid turning the mixture into a powder. Store in a covered jar away from heat and light.

Orange and Rosewater Olive Oil Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Rosewater adds a light yet irresistible perfume to this Moroccan-inspired citrus cake—a little goes a long way. For an equally delicious variation, use lemon juice and zest in place of the mandarin oranges. Note: The whole-wheat pastry flour adds some fiber to the cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • ½ cup medium or bold extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon or more for the pan
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup Greek yogurt
  • Zest of 3 mandarin oranges or clementines
  • ½ cup fresh mandarin orange or clementine juice 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater
  • 1-½ cups pastry flour
  • ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the icing:

  • 3 tablespoons mandarin orange or clementine juice
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ¼ cup or more shelled pistachios 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Oil a Bundt pan with olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites are visible, and then slowly whisk in the sugar, followed by the yogurt, the ½ cup olive oil, the juice and zest, the vanilla, and the rosewater.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and fold into the egg-oil mixture with a spatula until combined.

Step 3

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake’s done when a dinner knife inserted in its center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool it to room temperature.

Step 4

To make the icing, whisk the juice and sugar until incorporated, and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Carefully sprinkle on the pistachios and let the icing set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Yields 8–10 servings.

Chocolate Olive Oil Dipping Sauce & Customized Bark

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Olive oil infuses melted chocolate with a fresh, slightly herby taste that intensifies the rich flavor of dark chocolate. You can dip fruit and other treats in this sauce, create melt-in-your-mouth chocolate bark with it, or simply drizzle it over your favorite ice cream or Belgian waffles.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dark chocolate discs or pieces, preferably 72% cacao, such as Guittard’s Coucher du Soleil
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

Directions

Step 1

Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring with a silicone whisk or spatula until fully melted.

Step 2

Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and place on a towel on your counter. A few pieces at a time, add in the rest of the chocolate. This tempers it, or brings it down in temperature, so that the finished treat is silky. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, the chocolate on the stove should reach 118 degrees and go down to 90 after you add in the rest.) Stir in the olive oil until blended.

Yields about 1 cup of melted chocolate.

To dip: Prep an assortment of sweet fruits, like whole berries, pineapple triangles, and banana slices; cake squares; and/or pretzels and potato chips. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, and using a dinner fork, dip your chosen treats, one piece at a time, in the melted chocolate and then place on the waxed paper. Place the sheet in a cool spot for about two hours to allow the chocolate to harden, and then transfer your treats to a platter or tin. (Of course, you can also dip and eat right away, fondue style!)

Custom Chocolate Bark with Olive Oil

To create a custom chocolate bark: Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour all the tempered chocolate on the wax paper and use an offset spatula to smooth it out to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with your choice of toppings in a random pattern—a great combination is 2 tablespoons each golden raisins, pistachios, and crispy chocolate pearls like Valrhona’s Les Perles Craquantes. Let the chocolate harden in a cool spot for two or more hours or, for a firmer bark, in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then break into random-sized pieces and store in a cookie tin.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Extra virgin olive oil gives classic lemon curd all the silkiness of butter without the saturated fat. It’s delicious spooned over Greek yogurt and topped with berries—serve it in a champagne glass for an indulgent yet good-for-you dessert. You can also use it to make a lemon tart—fill a baked and cooled 8″ tart shell with the chilled curd, and top with dollops of whipped cream.

Ingredients

  • 3 large or 5 small lemons
  • 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
  • 10 tablespoons sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the lemons, dry them thoroughly, and then zest them with a microplane grater. You should have a generous tablespoon of zest. Juice the lemons. You should have a generous cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include, but remove any seeds.

Step 2

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, use a silicone whisk to blend the eggs thoroughly, and then whisk in one ingredient at a time in this order: sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and salt—this will give you the silkiest results without needing to strain the mixture after cooking.

Step 3

Place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as you bring the mixture to a very low boil. Cook for two minutes (this activates the cornstarch), lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

Step 4

Off the heat, slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s completely blended in. Pour the curd into a glass pitcher or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering and placing it in the fridge to thicken further.

Yields 1-¾ cups.