Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Summer 2019 Page 3

Perfect Roast Chicken with Salsa Verde

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Perhaps you have brined poultry in heavily salted water to season and tenderize it. But dry-brining accomplishes the same thing without taking up as much space in your refrigerator. A hot oven promotes crisp, golden-brown skin. The salsa verde (green sauce) is a piquant and colorful accompaniment.

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:
  • 1 roasting chicken, about 4 pounds
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, or more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • For the salsa verde:
  • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed, white and light green parts thinly sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed herbs (mint, dill, chives, etc.), finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Zest and juice from a medium lemon
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

Directions

Step 1

Remove any giblets from the main cavity of the chicken as well as any large pieces of fat around the opening. 

Step 2

Dry-brine the chicken: Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Season it generously, inside and out, with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours. Transfer to a rack in a shallow roasting pan. (Line the roasting pan with foil for easier cleanup.) Tie the legs together with butcher’s string.

Step 3

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes. Place the chicken in the roasting pan on the middle shelf of the oven and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes (uncovered).

Step 4

In the meantime, in a bowl combine the scallions, herbs, garlic, lemon (zest and juice), olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard seeds. Taste, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice, etc., to the mixture. It should be highly seasoned. Carve the chicken and serve with the salsa verde.

Serves 2 to 3 — Recipe adapted from notwithoutsalt.com

Chilean Empanadas De Pino

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Stuffed meat pies are part of nearly every culture. This very popular Chilean version builds on the pino—sauteed and beautifully seasoned ground beef—by adding a bounty of other flavors to the filling. 

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 3-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and kept chilled
  • 1-1/4 cups ice water 

For the filling:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 3/4 pound of ground beef, preferably chuck 
  • 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the assembly:

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  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise 
  • 12 brined large green or black olives, pitted 
  • 3/4 cup golden or sultana raisins
  • 1 egg 
  • 1 tablespoon of water

Directions

Step 1

Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt just until combined. Add the chilled butter and pulse again until the butter bits are about the size of peas—be careful not to overprocess. 

Step 2

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then add the water, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring and pressing it into the flour mixture with a spatula until you get a cohesive dough (you may not need all the water). 

Step 3

Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and divide into 12 portions. Form each portion into a ball, place the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour for easier rolling. 

Step 4

Prepare the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic, beef, and onion and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spices, hot sauce, and salt and pepper and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Step 5

Assemble the empanadas: Set out two large baking sheets. Working on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls into a 6- or 7-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. 

Step 6

Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture in the lower half of the round and arrange an olive, an egg quarter, and a tablespoon of raisins on top of the meat. Fold the upper half of the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. To seal it, fold up the edge along the half-moon by about 3/4 inch and crimp all along the way with the tines of a fork for a braided look. Use a large spatula to transfer the empanada to one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. 

Step 7

Bake the empanadas: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Make an egg wash by breaking the egg into a small bowl and whisk it thoroughly with the tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake on two racks in the oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the pans at the halfway mark for even browning. 

Makes 12 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Chilean Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This refreshing salad is ubiquitous throughout Chile and is routinely served in homes and restaurants alike.

Ingredients

  • 2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and dried3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 large sweet onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only
  • Optional ingredients:
  • Canned or jarred hearts of palm, drained and sliced
  • Sliced ripe avocado
  • Sliced cucumbers
  • Sliced fresh mushrooms
  • Canned or jarred artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  • Fresh green beans or haricots verts, trimmed, steamed until tender-crisp

Directions

Step 1

Arrange the lettuce leaves, tomatoes, onions, and any of the optional ingredients, if desired, on a large plate or platter. Top with the cilantro leaves. 

Step 2

Make the vinaigrette: Combine the lemon juice and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Whisk in the olive oil and adjust the seasonings, adding more lemon juice or salt or pepper if needed. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.

Serves 6 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Pear Salad with Blue Cheese, Olive Oil, and Mint

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of our favorite restaurants in Chile is Fuegos de Apalta (Fires of Apalta) in the Colchagua Valley. It was opened by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann in 2017. Here is one of his recipes.

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe red Bartlett pears, halved, cored, and cut into thick wedges
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 8 ounces blue cheese (such as Saint Agur), brought to room temperature and cut into wedges
  • 12 dates, pitted
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, toasted and lightly crushed
  • Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style white bread

Directions

Divide the pears among 4 salad plates and season with salt. Arrangea wedge of cheese and 3 dates on each plate. Drizzle with the olive oil and garnish with the mint and peppercorns. Serve with the sliced country bread for dipping in the olive oil.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Mallmann on Fire by Francis Mallmann (Artisan 2014)