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Garden Pasta Alla Hermes

Posted on September 16, 2021November 5, 2021 by The Olive Oil Hunter

My Merry Band of Tasters and I were treated to this recipe at the Di Mercurio family’s farm in Italy after an olive harvest, and master miller Duccio Morozzo and I liked it so much we decided to recreate it back in his Roman kitchen.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1/2 small eggplant, stemmed, peeled, and diced
1/2 small zucchini, stemmed and diced
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
Coarse sea salt
8 ounces dry rigatoni
3 cups tomato purée or crushed tomatoes
Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving
Basil leaves for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Pour the 1/4 cup of olive oil into a cold saucepan. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, onion, and a pinch or two of salt. Sauté the vegetables until they’re soft and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente according to the package directions.

Step 2

Stir the tomato purée into the vegetables and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Step 3

Purée the sauce with a stick blender until it’s fairly smooth. Season with additional salt, if desired. Drain the rigatoni and add to the sauce. Gently stir to combine. Transfer to a warmed shallow bowl and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes, and extra olive oil for drizzling. Garnish with basil as desired.

Yields 4 lunch or 2 dinner servings.

Cauliflower “Steaks” With Dukkah

Posted on September 14, 2021September 16, 2021 by The Olive Oil Hunter

My twist on this now-classic dish is to serve it with dukkah, a little-known nut-and-spice blend that’s Egyptian in origin but has been wildly popularized half a world away in Australia. Dukkah is wonderful on vegetables, but you can use it to make compound butter or as a sandwich spread, to add zest to a basic pesto, or simply instead of salt and pepper—I like to think of it as five layers of flavor in one little sprinkle. At Aussie restaurants, you’ll often find it added to the dish of olive oil that is served with bread.

Ingredients

2 large heads of cauliflower
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse kosher or sea salt
2 lemons, each cut into 4 wedges, separated
Fresh chopped curly parsley

For the dukkah:

1 cup hazelnuts, cashews or almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

Step 1

To make the dukkah, start by toasting the nuts. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes at 350°F until lightly browned. Set aside to cool (it’s not necessary to remove their skins), reserving the baking sheet for the cauliflower. Dry-toast the sesame, coriander and cumin seeds in a small frying pan on the stovetop, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Keep your eye on them because they can burn easily. Transfer the nuts and seeds to a food processor and add the salt, pepper and cayenne. Pulse just until crumbly. Don’t overprocess, or the dukkah will turn into a paste. Alternatively you can use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. (This can be made in advance. Refrigerate if not using immediately.)

Step 2

Next, turn the oven up to 400°F and prep the cauliflower. Remove the green outer leaves from each head and carefully trim back the stem. Stand the cauliflower upright on a cutting board and cut 2 “steaks,” each about ¾” thick, from the center of each head. Reserve the remaining cauliflower florets for another dish.

Step 3

Arrange the steaks on the rimmed baking sheet (you may need an additional sheet if the heads are very large). For each slice, brush both sides with olive oil and squeeze on the juice from one lemon wedge. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once with a spatula, until the cauliflower is tender and both sides are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter and liberally dust each piece with the dukkah. Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with the rest of the lemon wedges.

Yields 4 servings. 

Concord Grape and Olive Oil Harvest Cake

Posted on September 10, 2021November 5, 2021 by The Olive Oil Hunter

Though deeply rooted in ancient Greece, this piquant dish is sensational when made with premium Australian olive oils and wines. If you can, buy sushi-grade tuna steaks.

Ingredients

For the tuna:

3/4 cup cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup Concord grapes
1/2 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios
4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large egg whites
1 tablespoon sanding sugar (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper, and lightly coat it with baking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Over another large bowl to catch the juice, slice the grapes in half and remove and discard the seeds; set aside.

Step 2

In a food processor, pulse the pistachios with the confectioner’s sugar until powdery. Add the 2 whole eggs, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla extract, and then pulse about 6 times to incorporate the ingredients. Add half of the flour mixture, then the olive oil, and then the remaining flour mixture, pulsing a few times between each addition. Transfer the batter to the bowl you used for the flour, and fold in any juice that’s collected in the bowl of grapes.

Step 3

In a clean, large bowl, whisk the egg whites on a low speed until foamy, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and whip at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold a large spoonful of the beaten whites into the batter to lighten the mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being sure to incorporate the batter at the very bottom of the bowl. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top, and then sprinkle on the grapes and, if you’re using it, the sanding sugar. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until there’s no wobble in the center and a knife used to test comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, and then release the sides of the pan. Serve at room temperature.

Yields 10-12 servings

Argentinian Skirt Steak With Chimichurri

Posted on August 23, 2021August 23, 2021 by The Olive Oil Hunter

Grilled meat with herbaceous chimichurri sauce is a South American staple, popular in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Substitute flank steak or hanger steak if you can’t find skirt steak.

Ingredients

For the chimichurri:

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3 to 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh or teaspoon dried oregano
1 fresh jalapeño, stemmed and seeded, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons water
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Steak:

2 pounds trimmed skirt steak
More kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Make the chimichurri:

Place the parsley, cilantro, garlic, oregano, and the jalapeño or red pepper flakes in a food processor and finely chop, running the machine in short bursts. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream, followed by 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and 3 tablespoons of water. Taste the chimichurri, adding another tablespoon of vinegar to make it tarter, if desired. If necessary, add another tablespoon of water to thin the chimichurri to a pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; it should be highly seasoned. Set aside for up to 2 hours.

Preheat your grill to medium-high. Season the skirt steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on its thickness (medium-rare is best). Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then thinly slice the meat on a diagonal. Arrange on a platter and serve with the chimichurri sauce.

Yields 4 to 6 servings