Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Chilean Harvest Page 3

Roasted Red Snapper with Patagonian Pebre Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Every Chilean household seems to have its own recipe for pebre, a table sauce that complements everything from eggs to grilled meats and seafood. Originally from the Spanish province of Catalonia, it is especially good when fresh tomatoes are in season.

Ingredients

  • 4 red snapper, each about 1 pound, scaled, cleaned, and gutted
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of a lime
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

For the pebre:

  • 4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons merkén or 1 1/2 teaspoons pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the fish inside and out under cold running water and pat dry. Rub them (inside and out) with a mixture of 3 tablespoons olive oil, the lime juice, and salt.

Step 2

Heat the oven to 400°F. Oil a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Drizzle the top of the fish with olive oil. Bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily, about 25 minutes.

Step 3

While the fish roasts, make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Taste, adding salt if needed. If tightly covered, the pebre will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, but it is best when freshly made.

Step 4

Transfer the fish to a platter or plates and serve with the pebre.

Serves 4

Corn and Shrimp Salad with Serrano Salsa

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This recipe uses a simple technique for grilling corn, but you can make the corn on the stovetop in a hot cast iron pan by cutting off the kernels and charring them in 3 tablespoons of olive oil; boil the shrimp if not grilling. Calamari, steamed mussels, or lobster chunks make delicious variations.

Ingredients

For the Salsa:

  • 1 red onion, peeled and cut in eighths
  • 1 fresh serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut in chunks
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or more to taste

For the Salad:

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled
  • 4 large ears of corn, husks on
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

Directions

Step 1

Make the salsa: In a food processor, pulse the onions, peppers, cilantro, and garlic until finely chopped. Add the olive oil, lime juice, and salt, and pulse to incorporate. Transfer to a large bowl, season to taste with more salt, if needed, and set aside.

Step 2

Prep the shrimp: Add the 1/4 cup olive oil, the garlic, and parsley to a bowl along with the shrimp and toss well. Thread on skewers and place on a platter. Set aside near your grill while you make the corn.

Step 3

Preheat your grill to high. Prep each ear of corn by peeling down the husks and removing the silk, then peel off the outer leaves of the husks, leaving just two or three layers attached. Place the ears on a rimmed sheet pan, brush the kernels with olive oil, and fold up the remaining husks. Grill the corn, giving each ear a quarter-turn every 2 to 3 minutes. The ears should be nicely charred all on sides. Transfer them back to the sheet pan and let them cool while you grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side, or until they turn pink.

Step 4

When the ears of corn are cool enough to handle, remove and discard any remaining leaves. On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to carefully remove all the kernels and place them in the bowl with the salsa. Add the cooked shrimp and diced bell pepper. Toss well and let marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Serves 6

Chilean Ceviche

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Ceviche (pronounced ceh-BEE-chay) is a popular appetizer in Chile, which boasts over 2,600 miles of Pacific coastline. The name comes from the Quechuan word siwichi, which translates to “tender fish.” Salmon can be substituted for white fish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sushi-grade boneless, skinless white fish, such as red snapper, halibut, or grouper
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea) or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon merkén (optional)
  • Juice of 4 limes or lemons
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Toast points, lettuce cups, or tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Remove any bloodlines or dark parts from the fish before cutting it into 1/2-inch cubes.

Step 2

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the fish, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, salt, pepper, and merkén, if using. Gently stir in the lime or lemon juice as well as the olive oil.

Step 3

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

Serves 4

Smashed Beets and Greens Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Perhaps you’ve had smashed potatoes. Beets also respond well to this technique. And we love the way the beet greens are incorporated in the salad rather than discarded. This recipe was inspired by the remarkable chef Francis Mallmann, whose restaurant Fuegos de Apalta has become a favorite of my wife and myself when we visit Chile.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium beets, yellow or red, with green tops, if available
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 4 cups arugula or baby greens
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 ounces feta or queso fresco, crumbled

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Trim the beets, reserving the greens. Discard any thick stems. Place the beets on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Coat them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast until easily pierced by a knife, about 50 to 60 minutes, turning them once midway. Let cool slightly.

Step 2

While the beets are cooling, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar in a large bowl. Add the arugula or baby greens and the beet greens, if available, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter.

Step 3

When the beets are cool enough to handle, cover them with another sheet of parchment and gently smash each one with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a disc about one-inch thick.

Step 4

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add two of the smashed beets and cook until the bottoms are charred, about 3 minutes; flip and repeat. Use a spatula to place them on top of the greens on the serving platter. Repeat with remaining beets and the last tablespoon of olive oil.

Step 5

Scatter the cheese over the beets, and drizzle with more olive oil.

Serves 4