Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Chilean Harvest Page 5

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If possible, buy fresh just-picked carrots with the tops still on (you can always make pesto out of the tops). There’s no need to peel them as the skin is thin and tender.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
  • One 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium carrots, halved lengthwise, tops trimmed to 1 inch
  • 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into large pieces
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves

Directions

Step 1

Prepare a grill for direct grilling and heat to medium. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool.

Step 2

Coarsely crush the cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Transfer to a large bowl. Add lemon juice and honey. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil until combined, then stir in the chile and ginger. Season with salt. Let sit until ready to serve, which will give the chile and ginger time to infuse into the sauce.

Step 3

Toss the carrots with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Grill the carrots, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and tender, 14 to 18 minutes. Immediately transfer the carrots to the bowl with the sauce. Toss to coat; season with salt.

Step 4

Arrange the avocado and carrots on a platter. Spoon any remaining sauce over them, then top with mint. Serve the carrots warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4 — Recipe from bonappetit.com

Grilled Broccoli Rabe with Salsa Rossa

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Broccoli rabe (also known as rapini) is a deliciously bitter green closely related to turnips. To ensure tenderness, the stalks are blanched, then grilled. You’ll find the Salsa Rossa pairs well with many green vegetables—green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc.

Ingredients

For the Salsa Rossa

  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed) Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 roasted and peeled red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pickled hot peppers, plus 1/4 cup brine from the jar
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

For the broccoli rabe

  • 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • Shaved Pecorino Romano, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Make the Salsa Rossa: In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of water. Remove from the heat. Add the tomatoes and hot red pepper flakes. Let stand until the tomatoes are softened, 15 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer the tomatoes and their liquid to a blender. Add the roasted pepper, pickled peppers, brine, and vinegar and puree until very smooth. With the machine on, gradually add the olive oil until incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the oregano and sugar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Step 3

Make the broccoli rabe: Set up an ice bath (a large bowl of water and ice). In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe for 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath. Drain and pat dry.

Step 4

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a bowl, toss the broccoli rabe with the oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Serve with the Salsa Rossa and Pecorino.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2016

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Verdant and bold-flavored, chimichurri is one of South America’s finest contributions to the world’s sauces. If available, buy “outside” skirt steak, which is considered superior in flavor and tenderness to “inside” skirt steak. Or substitute flank steak or flat iron steak.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

For the marinade

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • The juice of 1 lime

For the Chimichurri Sauce

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/2 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian blend herbs
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste

Directions

Step 1

Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Combine the marinade and steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and chill for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. (An overnight marinade gives the steak more flavor.)

Step 2

Combine all the ingredients for the Chimichurri Sauce in a blender or food processor and process until fairly smooth. heat up until the fat starts to cook out of the fish, about 4 minutes. At this point, you may press gently on fish so that the skin is flat against the pan. Continue to cook until the skin is super-crisp and the flesh is mostly opaque (you can increase or decrease the heat slightly if needed, but don’t try to rush it), 8 to 12 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Less fatty fish won’t release as much fat on their own, so you may need to add a splash more olive oil into the skillet if the skin isn’t getting crisp enough. Turn the fish and cook just until opaque all the way through, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Preheat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Oil with vegetable oil. Sear the steak for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned on the outside and pink in the middle.

Step 4

Thinly slice the steak on a sharp diagonal across the grain and serve with the Chimichurri Sauce on top.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from lecremedelacrumb.com

Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Herb Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

While we always prefer wild-caught salmon, Chilean Verlasso salmon (farm-raised) is also very good. Feel free to substitute black bass, red snapper, or lionfish if salmon is not available.

Ingredients

  • 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional)
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup chopped tender fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, and/or basil
  • 1 tablespoon brined capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, or white wine vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • Four 6-ounce skin-on fillets of salmon
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing

Directions

Step 1

Make the sauce: Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash the anchovies (if using) and garlic on a cutting board until a coarse paste forms. Mix in a medium bowl with the herbs, capers, lemon juice, and 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. (Remember, capers are salty.)

Step 2

Swirl the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Season the salmon generously on both sides with salt, and lay skin side down in a cold skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and let it gradually
heat up until the fat starts to cook out of the fish, about 4 minutes. At this point, you may press gently on fish so that the skin is flat against the pan. Continue to cook until the skin is super-crisp and the flesh is
mostly opaque (you can increase or decrease the heat slightly if needed, but don’t try to rush it), 8 to 12 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Less fatty fish won’t release as much fat on their own, so you may need to add a splash more olive oil into the skillet if the skin isn’t getting crisp enough. Turn the fish and cook just until opaque all the way through, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Spoon the green sauce onto a platter and carefully set the salmon, skin side up, on top. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

Serves 4 — Recipe from bonappetit.com