Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Pan-Roasted Halibut with Jalapeño Vinaigrette

With its clean, mild taste, firm texture, and payload of omega-3 fatty acids, halibut pairs beautifully with robust extra virgin olive oils. It is among the largest flat fish in the world, weighing up to 500 pounds!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons very finely chopped shallot or red onion
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon very finely chopped garlic
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium jalapeño
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Six 6-ounce halibut fillets
  • Fresh watercress or arugula, for serving

Directions

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and onion with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, then whisk in the honey, cilantro, mustard, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over high heat until just smoking. Add the jalapeño and cook, turning, until charred and blistered on all sides, about 2 minutes; let it cool slightly. Slip off the charred skin. Discard the stem and cut the jalapeño in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and finely chop the jalapeño. Stir the jalapeño into the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over moderately high heat. Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until they are opaque throughout, about 8 minutes. Transfer the halibut to a platter. Whisk the vinaigrette, spoon it over the fish, and serve with watercress.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, March 2004

Shrimp with Avocado Cilantro Sauce

Shrimp preparations are a specialty of Chile’s small coastal villages. If you don’t want to fuss with skewers, grill the shrimp in a grill wok or grill basket. The sauce is best when made shortly before serving.

Ingredients

For the shrimp and marinade:

  • 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Juice of one large lime
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 teaspoons pure chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon each coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)

For the avocado cilantro sauce:

  • 2 large ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
  • 1 cup sour cream or Greek-style yogurt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Step 1

Make the marinade: In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Pour into a large resealable plastic bag and add the shrimp. Toss to coat and marinate for 30 minutes. Drain the shrimp, dry on paper towels, and thread on metal or bamboo skewers. (Discard the marinade.)

Step 2

Shortly before grilling, make the avocado cilantro sauce: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the avocado, sour cream, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. Run the machine in short bursts until the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to an attractive serving bowl. If not serving immediately, place plastic wrap directly on top of the sauce to delay oxidation (browning).

Step 3

Preheat the grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, use a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop.) Grill the shrimp on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until opaque and no longer pink. Serve immediately with the sauce. (Note: Metal skewers will be very hot.)

Serves 8 as a starter or 4 as a main course — Recipe adapted from therecipecritic.com

Spatchcocked Chicken with Cracked Olives and Herbs

If you’re intimidated by butterflying the chickens (spatchcocking), simply buy chicken halves for this recipe. They’ll cook faster than whole chickens. The chicken can be roasted in an oven (even a pizza oven) or grilled.

Ingredients

  • 2 roasting chickens, each 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or minced
  • 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper, or more to taste (see Note)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, divided use
  • 1 cup Castelvetrano, Cerignola, or other green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves for serving

Directions

Step 1

The night before you plan to grill or roast the chickens, spatchcock them by placing on a work surface and removing the backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Turn the chickens over, breast side up, and open them up, pushing against the countertop, as much as possible. Using your palms, press
firmly on the breastbone to flatten the breast. You may hear a crack. This means you’re doing it right. Set the chickens, breast sides up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season generously on both sides with salt and black pepper. Chill, uncovered, at least 8 hours. (This step gives you crisper skin.)

Step 2

Set the chickens (still on the baking sheet) on your counter. Combine the garlic, Aleppo pepper, rosemary, and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the chickens all over with the mixture and return to the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Step 3

Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. (Alternatively, roast the chickens on a wire rack set over a rimmed sheet pan in an oven preheated to 425°F.) Set the chickens, skin sides down, on the grate away from direct heat. Cover the grill. Grill, rotating the chickens as needed so that they color evenly, until the skins are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Step 4

Turn the chickens and continue to cook, covered, until the skins are a deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 160°F, 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer the chickens to a cutting board and let them rest at least 10 minutes before carving.

Step 5

Mix the olives, orange juice, oregano, chopped parsley, the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, and any accumulated juices from chicken on the cutting board in a medium bowl. Season with salt. Mix the olives, orange juice, oregano, chopped parsley, the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, and any accumulated juices from chicken on the cutting board in a medium bowl. Season with salt.

Step 6

To serve, arrange the carved chickens on a platter and top with the olive mixture and parsley leaves.

Note: Aleppo pepper is widely used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Sweet Hungarian pepper with a pinch of cayenne can be substituted.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from bonappetit.com

Lemon Bars with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Olive oils with sweet notes can be used for baking and are especially good in quick breads and bars like these.

Ingredients

For the shortbread crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the curd:

  • 4 to 6 lemons (enough for 3/4 cup of juice)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, plus 3 yolks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F and line a 9 x 9 baking pan with enough parchment to hang over two of the sides (to be used as handles later to lift the bars out of the pan).

Step 2

Make the crust: Pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a food processor, or whisk together in a large bowl. Add the butter and pulse (or use two knives or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake until the crust is pale golden all over, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 3

While the shortbread is baking, prepare the lemon curd: Grate 1/2 tablespoon of zest from the lemons and set aside. Squeeze lemons to yield 3/4 cup juice.

Step 4

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, eggs and yolks, cornstarch, and fine sea salt until boiling and thickened, 2 to 5 minutes. Make sure the mixture comes to a boil and stays there for 30 seconds or so; you should see it thicken up before you take it off the heat. But once it boils, do not cook for longer than 1 minute or you risk the curd thinning out again. Remove the curd from the heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in the butter, olive oil, and lemon zest.

Step 5

When the shortbread is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully pour the lemon curd onto the shortbread base; return the pan to the oven. Bake until the topping is just set, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt right before serving.

Makes 24 bars — Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com