Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Winter 2018 Page 2

Orecchiette With Broccoli Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of the most memorable dishes of my recent trip to Abruzzo was served family-style at a dinner at the Hermes farm. We liberally splashed the pasta with the exclusive olive oil blend we’d just created.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces very small broccoli florets
  • 8 ounces orecchiette or other short pasta
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 or 2 oil-packed anchovies, finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 4 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Step 1

Steam the broccoli florets until they are very tender; set aside.

Step 2

Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain, but save a cup of the hot pasta water.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the garlic and hot red pepper flakes over medium heat until fragrant and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the steamed broccoli, anchovy, if using, and the salt, pepper, broth, and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer. Start breaking down the broccoli with metal spoon or spatula into tiny pieces. (You basically want the broccoli to “melt.”) Continue to simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced by half and the mixture has the consistency of a thick sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add the pasta and toss well. Add a spoonful or two of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve in warmed shallow bowls with additional olive oil for drizzling.

Serves 4—Recipe adapted from feastingathome.com

Tuscan-Style Veal Chops

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Extra virgin olive oil becomes the base for a savory “board sauce” when mixed with fresh herbs and the natural juices of the meat. Substitute bone-in beef rib eyes or tomahawk steaks if veal is unavailable.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
  • Four 12-ounce veal rib chops, cut 1 inch thick
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Light a charcoal grill. On a platter, mix the 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic, rosemary and sage. Season the veal chops with salt and black pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil.

Step 2

Grill the chops over moderately high heat, turning once, about 6 minutes per side for medium. Transfer the chops to the platter and turn to coat with the olive oil and herbs. Generously drizzle the veal with olive oil and let stand for 3 minutes, turning the chops a few times. Spoon the juices and oil over the chops and serve.

Serves 4—Recipe from Food and Wine, June 2007

Spatchcocked Grilled Chicken With Sicilian Salsa

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Spatchcocking is a great technique to use when you’re short on time; it can be used on chickens, turkeys, game hens, etc. If grilling isn’t an option, place a cooling rack in a rimmed sheet pan, put the bird on the rack, and roast in the oven. This recipe comes from master griller Steven Raichlen, a longtime member of the Club, whose TV show “Project Fire” airs on American Public Television.

Ingredients

  • 1 roasting chicken, about 4 pounds
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 teaspoon cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or tarragon
  • Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for serving
  • 1 bunch fresh arugula, washed and dried, for serving
    Sicilian Salsa, for serving (recipe follows)

Directions

  1. Spatchcock the chicken by removing the backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Turn the chicken over (breast side up) and gently flatten it with the palms of your hands. (Remove the cartilaginous breast bone, if you’d like, by running a sharp knife down both sides and popping it out.) Arrange the chicken in a large nonreactive baking dish.
  2. Combine the salt, pepper, hot red pepper flakes, rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix with your fingers. Sprinkle this mixture over the chicken on all sides, rubbing it into the meat.
  3. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken, followed by the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Turn the chicken a couple times to coat it well. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 30 minutes (or even overnight).
  4. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium. In the best of all worlds, you’d build your fire with oak chunks. Alternatively, you can toss some wood chips or chunks on the coals.
  5. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the chicken on the grate, skin side down. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the skin’s nicely browned. Carefully turn the chicken. Grill 15 to 20 minutes more, or until done. The internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh should be 165°F. Arrange on a bed of arugula that’s been tossed with a tablespoon of olive oil. Serve with the salsa.

Sicilian Salsa Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
  • 1 small white onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup finely diced hothouse cucumber
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 16 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons small brined capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or basil
  • 1/4 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Sicilian Salsa Directions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, gently mix—a rubber spatula works well for this—the tomato, onion, cucumber, garlic, olives, and capers. Stir in the tarragon, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add salt (remember, the capers and olives are salty) and pepper to taste.

Serves 4—Recipe from Food and Wine, June 2007

Porchetta-Style Turkey Breast

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Well-suited for smaller gatherings, this attractive and flavorful roulade of turkey breast will be the centerpiece of your festive table. And because I consider fresh-pressed extra virgin olive oil to be Mother Nature’s perfect sauce, I suggest providing the table with extra oil for drizzling.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for serving
  • 1 whole skin-on turkey breast (5 to 7 pounds), boned, or 2 boneless skin-on turkey
  • breast halves (2 to 3 pounds each)
  • Eight 1/8-inch-thick pancetta slices, unrolled into strips, or
  • 8 strips thick-cut bacon

Directions

Step 1

In a large mortar, pound the coriander and fennel seeds with a pestle to form a coarse powder. Add the rosemary and sage and pound to crush and bruise the herbs. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon salt and pound until a paste begins to form. Stir in 2 teaspoons pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.

Step 2

Pat the turkey breast dry with a paper towel and lay it skin side down on a work surface. Rub half the spice paste over the meat. Turn the turkey over and carefully separate the skin from the meat without tearing the skin. Rub the remaining spice paste under the skin. Reform the breast and tie with 4 to 6 loops of butcher’s twine to make a roll. (If you’re using boneless halves, season the two halves,  lay them on top of each other, skin side out, and tie them together.) Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Step 3

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey breast and sear until golden-brown on all sides. Transfer the breast, seam side down, to a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Crisscross the pancetta over the top of the breast.

Step 4

Roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Let the turkey breast rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the pancetta and chop or crumble it. Remove the butcher’s twine. Slice the turkey breast into 1/4-inch slices and serve, sprinkled with the pancetta. Serve additional olive oil on the side.

 Serves 7 to 9—Recipe from Fine Cooking, Issue 107