Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sauces & Dressings Page 8

Mojo Chicken With Avocado & Mango Salsa

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The following recipe features a marinade of mojo, the Cuban classic built on a base of olive oil, citrus, and garlic. I like to double the salsa ingredients to have some as a dip for chips or for another dish the next day.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons gourmet vinegar
  • 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs

For the salsa:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons gourmet vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Step 1

Marinate the chicken: In a food processor, pulse the cumin, garlic, jalapeño, and salt into a paste, and then drizzle in the olive oil, the juices, and vinegar. Place the chicken in a large bowl, pour in the marinade, rotate it to distribute the marinade, and cover. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Step 2

An hour before you’re ready to grill the chicken, prepare the salsa. In a medium saucepan, whisk the oil, vinegar, juice, zests, honey, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Place the mangos and avocados in a bowl and drizzle with the reduced sauce. Gently fold to coat the fruits, and then sprinkle with the cilantro; set aside.

Step 3

Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a platter and spoon on half the salsa, serving the rest on the side.

Yields 4-6 servings.

Seafood Fra Diavolo

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This Italian classic often gets its heat from pepperoncino (red pepper) flakes, but I love the depth that comes from including fresh serrano pepper in the garlic and onion sauté. For another layer of flavor, I use a full can of tomato paste. So delicious, plus you can make it your own with any seafood you like—go simple with shrimp, lavish with lobster tail meat and scallops or easy with chunks of your favorite fish!. As a final step to this recipe, you might stir in a pound of shelled shrimp and cook until opaque. Serve it with or without pasta. It’s also delicious with any legume-based pasta—top with a good amount of grated Parmesan or Pecorino.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
  • 2 pounds assorted seafood, such as 8 ounces each peeled shrimp, scallops, calamari rings, and crabmeat
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Pinch of salt

Directions

Step 1

Heat a large skillet—it’s ready when a few drops of water sizzle on the surface. Add the olive oil and then the seafood, gently searing it on all sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to a bowl next to your cooktop. Add more oil to the pan if needed, then add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, but not browned. 

Step 2

Add the pepper and garlic and cook until soft. Then add the tomato paste and cook it until fragrant and almost brown-burgundy in color, whisking it constantly as it caramelizes. Slowly whisk in the wine and then add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and salt, and heat through.

Step 3

Return the seafood to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes until cooked through. Serve over your choice of pasta.

Yields 4 servings

Tonnato

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This versatile Italian sauce is traditionally served over poached veal. But we love it on chicken, crudités, cooked vegetables (like green beans), and even as a sandwich spread. For mayo, try Japanese Kewpie, Duke’s, Hellmann’s, or Best Foods. You can customize the tonnato by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes, a splash of hot sauce, Calabrian chile paste, or even fresh chile peppers.

Ingredients

  • 7 ounces canned or jarred best-quality tuna packed in olive oil, drained
  • 2 to 4 anchovies packed in olive oil, drained
  • 2 tablespoons brined capers, drained
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender jar. (Use just a pinch of salt to begin with as the capers are salty. You can always add more if needed.) Process until the mixture is smooth, like pourable cream. Transfer to an attractive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days if not serving immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter — Recipe adapted from nomnompaleo.com

Barramundi a la Vinaigrette

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of the most pleasurable evenings I ever spent in Australia was cooking dinner in the kitchen of food entrepreneur Melissa Wong and her husband, Robert. A simple vinaigrette, whipped up in minutes and serving as a salad dressing, a marinade, and a sauce, is the unifying factor in this dish. If you can’t find barramundi—a popular fish down under—halibut, cod, or another mild white fish is equally delicious. The quick-pickled red onions are a great condiment for this and many other dishes.

Ingredients

For the pickled onions:

  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the vinaigrette:

  • Juice and zest of a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as dill, flat-leaf parsley, and oregano

For the main dish:

  • 4 barramundi fillets, each 6 to 8 ounces
  • 4 loosely packed cups of baby arugula, spinach, or mixed greens 
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
  • 1 lemon, quartered

Directions

Step 1

Make the pickled onions: Thinly slice the red onion into rings and place them in a pint canning jar. Bring the water and apple cider vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar and salt and pour the liquid over the onions. Let cool to room temperature before serving. 

Step 2

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Whisk until the salt and honey dissolve. Slowly add the olive oil, continuously whisking until the vinaigrette emulsifies. Stir in the minced herbs. Taste the vinaigrette, adding more vinegar or salt and pepper as desired. Pour 2/3 of the vinaigrette into a separate container and set aside.

Step 3

Place the fish fillets on a rimmed sheet pan and lightly brush both sides with the 1/3 of the vinaigrette from the mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Step 4

Toss the greens, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved vinaigrette to lightly coat and divide among 4 plates. Top with equal amounts of the pickled onions. 

Step 5

Light a grill or preheat a well-oiled stovetop grill pan to medium-high. Arrange the fillets, skin side down, on a well-oiled grill grate or in the preheated pan. Cook until the edges begin to turn opaque, 2 to 3 minutes for thin fillets and 4 to 5 minutes for thicker fillets. Carefully turn and cook the other side until the fish is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more, taking care not to overcook them. Arrange a fillet on each of the prepared plates. Drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette and garnish each plate with a lemon quarter. 

Yields 4 servings.