Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Pressing Report Page 9

Chorizo Hash

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

While hash is often served with fried eggs, this flavorful combination of ingredients can also be used as a filling for omelets. It can be made ahead and rewarmed. Perfect for a festive brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
  • Sea salt
  • 8 ounces cured chorizo, thinly sliced into rounds 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed if frying eggs
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup torn cilantro leaves
  • 4 large eggs (optional)
  • Your favorite salsa, for serving

Directions

Step 1

In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until tender, up to 10 minutes (test halfway through). Drain well.

Step 2

Sauté the chorizo in a large skillet over medium heat until the fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin toward the end of the cooking time. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Step 3

Drizzle the olive oil over the drained potatoes. Transfer to the hot skillet and cook over medium-high heat until nicely browned, turning with a spatula. Fold in the chorizo. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro. Divide the hash among four plates, topping each with an olive oil-fried egg, if desired. Serve with salsa

Serves 4

Dulce de Leche Trifle

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Called manjar in Chile, dulce de leche is a butterscotch-like sauce made from very slowly cooking milk and sugar. My speedy hack is using imported dulce de leche (Amazon offers many brands, most from Argentina). It’s used both in the custard and as its own layer in this dessert. Guests can assemble their own glasses, or you can create a showstopper trifle in a tall and wide glass bowl. Both the cake and custard can be made up to two days in advance.

Ingredients

For the cake layer:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup water at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the dulce de leche custard:

  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dulce de leche
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

For the assembly:

  • 1 pint fresh raspberries
  • 1 cup dulce de leche

Directions

Step 1

Make the cake: Separate the eggs when cold, then let the yolks and whites come to room temperature. Line a 17×12 rimmed sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper large enough to hang over the sides (do not grease it). Preheat your oven to 325°F.

Step 2

Whisk the flour and baking powder in a bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and half the sugar until pale, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil, vanilla, and water, then fold in the flour mixture.

Step 3

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on low until foamy, then add the cream of tartar, salt, and the rest of the sugar. Increase the speed to high and whip until the whites are stiff, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 4

Gently fold the whites into the yolk-flour mixture in three or four batches; you should barely see any of the whites, but don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the sheet pan and use an offset spatula to smooth out the top.

Step 5

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until lightly browned and spongy. Let cool completely, then invert the cake onto a cutting board and peel off the parchment. Cut into 2-inch squares—save the scraps because they can be used, too.

Step 6

Make the dulce de leche custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt, then whisk in the yolks followed by the whole eggs. Continue whisking until the mixture turns a lighter yellow; set aside.

Step 7

Place the milk in a saucepan and scald—you should see a light skin start to form, but don’t let the milk come to a boil. Vigorously whisk 1/4 cup milk into the egg mixture, then slowly whisk in the rest. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes (lower the heat as needed to prevent scorching the bottom). It should become quite thick.

Step 8

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the olive oil, dulce de leche, and vanilla, and transfer to a glass serving bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then press a round of parchment paper over the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, 4 hours up to overnight.

Step 9

When ready to assemble, whip the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar. Rinse the raspberries and pat dry. In a tall serving bowl or individual glasses, build the trifle layers: cake squares, dulce de leche custard, raspberries, whipped cream, and dulce de leche; repeat the layers as needed.

Serves 8 or more

Pan con Chocolate Supremo

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Bread with chocolate is a sweet and simple dish often offered as a dessert tapa. Traditional recipes call for melting squares of chocolate atop slices of toast in an oven still hot from toasting the bread. My version melts the chocolate with olive oil separately for a silkier texture. I’ve also ramped up the flavors by adding oranges—chocolate, orange, and olive oil make a terrific trio. I love the elegance of orange supremes, but you can also opt for thin horizontal slices of a peeled orange with as much pith removed as possible.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Four 1/2-inch slices of crusty bread, toasted
  • 1 orange, peeled and cut into supremes (see Note) or thin slices
  • Coarse sea salt or Maldon sea salt flakes

Directions

Step 1

Melt the chocolate and the tablespoon of olive oil in the microwave in 30-second increments at power 4 until just about melted. Stir until smooth. Spread equal amounts on the toasts and top with orange slices, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt.

Note: To make orange supremes, peel the orange and cut off about 1/4 inch from the top and bottom—this makes it easier to see the membranes separating each orange section. Then use a paring knife to cut both sides of each section away from the membranes; place the supremes in a bowl until ready to use.

Serves 4

Basque Cheesecake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Basque cheesecake is the ultimate in creaminess. Unlike traditional cheesecake that has a crust and is baked at a low temperature, this style is crustless (perfect if you’re gluten-free) and cooks hot and somewhat faster. The parchment paper used to line the springform pan creates the cheesecake’s signature look when peeled away.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds best-quality cream cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Bring the cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream to room temperature—take the cheese out of the fridge at least two hours before starting; the eggs and cream, about an hour.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9×3 springform pan with a large piece of parchment, pleating it as needed to flatten it against the sides—don’t worry about making the pleats uniform.

Step 3

In a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes; stop every minute or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Lower the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the cornstarch, heavy cream, and olive oil. Make sure to scrape up the bottom of the work bowl with a flexible spatula to incorporate any lumps.

Step 4

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, until the top turns dark brown (the center will still jiggle a bit). Place on a wire rack to cool completely before transferring to the fridge to chill from 4 hours to overnight.

Step 5

When ready to serve, release the sides of the pan and gently peel the parchment away from the sides. You can serve it right on the parchment or use a cake lifter to transfer it to a platter.

Serves 10