Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Grilled Salmon With Orzo, Feta, And Red Wine Vinaigrette

Native Australian, celebrity chef, and restaurateur Curtis Stone has put down roots in Los Angeles. (Check out his acclaimed restaurants Gwen or Maude if the opportunity presents.) In the meantime, here’s an easy dinner that will put the spotlight on your fine Australian olive oils.

Ingredients

For the orzo:

  • 1 1/2 cups dried orzo
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 3 cups, not packed)
  • 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

For the salmon:

  • Four 5-ounce skinless salmon fillets
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for coating the fish
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high cooking over direct heat.

Step 2

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the orzo in a sieve and set aside.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, shallots, and garlic together. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 4

In a large bowl, toss the warm orzo, spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil with the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature.

Step 5

Coat the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Oil the cooking grate. Place the salmon on the grill with the top right corner of each fillet facing the two o’clock position and cook for 4 minutes, without moving the salmon. (This will help give the salmon a good sear of nice grill marks and help it release from the grate.) Using a thin metal spatula, starting at the corner of each fillet nearest you, flip over the fillets. Grill for about 2 minutes, or until the fish is opaque with a slightly rosy center when flaked in the thickest part with the tip of a small knife.

Step 6

Mound the salad in the center of a large serving platter or four dinner plates. Sprinkle with the feta cheese. Top with the salmon, sprinkle with the chives, and serve.

Serves 4 — Recipe from What’s for Dinner by Curtis Stone (Ballantine Books, 2013)

Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner With Lemons And Olives

Outstanding extra virgin olive oil allows you to achieve big flavors effortlessly. Case in point? This sheet pan chicken dinner that goes together in minutes. If you don’t have olives on hand, feel free to substitute marinated artichoke hearts and a couple of tablespoons of brined capers.

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons, preferably seedless
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 8 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the ends off the lemons. Cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Quarter each slice. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the olives, garlic, and thyme. Set aside.

Step 2

Oil a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the chicken thighs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus the salt, pepper, and hot red pepper flakes, if using. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on the pan.

Step 3

Place the baking sheet in the oven and let the chicken roast for 25 minutes. Scatter with the lemon and olive mixture. Continue roasting until the chicken skin is crispy and brown and flesh is tender. It should measure 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the chicken, lemons, olives, and accumulated juices to a platter or plates. Serve with additional olive oil for drizzling.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from the Chicago Tribune, December 6, 2017

Grilled Fish With Artichoke Caponata

Many years ago, an olive oil producer’s elderly mother made lunch for us. I will never forget her caponata, which was similar to this one.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
  • 4 tender celery ribs, diced (1 cup)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 pound marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons small brined capers, drained Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
  • Six 7-ounce skinless mahi-mahi fillets

Directions

Step 1

In a large, deep skillet, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Add the celery, onion, and garlic and cook over moderate heat until just softened, 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, wine, vinegar, artichokes, olives, pine nuts, sugar, and capers and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced, 8 minutes. Stir in the basil and let the caponata cool.

Step 2

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Rub the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Transfer the fish to plates, top with the caponata, and serve.

Serves 6Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, July 2010

Overnight Broccoli Rabe With Anchovy And Preserved Lemon

One of my closest friends, Justin Wangler, and I first met at A. B. Tech Culinary School in my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. Justin is currently the executive chef of Jackson Family Wines in California’s Sonoma Valley. The vineyard’s new cookbook, Season, was released in September. Below is a recipe Justin shared with me; he likes to serve it with Kendall Jackson Chardonnay.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 2 bunches broccoli rabe
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon best-quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil–packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground Aleppo pepper
  • 2 tablespoons julienned preserved lemon rind
  • 2 teaspoons sel gris

Directions

Step 1

In a large pot, combine 4 quarts of water and 1/2 cup kosher salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl half full with water and ice.

Step 2

Trim off the tough ends of the broccoli rabe stems, keeping each bunch intact. Using a pair of tongs, hold a broccoli rabe bunch by its leafy tops and submerge the stems in the boiling water for 1 minute. Then submerge the entire bunch in the boiling water and cook for 90 seconds longer. Lift the bunch out of the water and plunge it into the ice bath until cold. Repeat with the second bunch. Drain the broccoli rabe well, separate the bunches, and place on paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Step 3

In a small pot, combine the garlic and the 3/4 cup oil over low heat and heat for about 6 minutes, until the garlic is soft but not golden. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon zest and juice and the anchovy, and stir to combine.

Step 4

In a large bowl, toss the dry broccoli rabe with the oil mixture to coat evenly. Transfer to a large, shallow airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

Step 5

Using tongs, toss the broccoli rabe in the oil mixture, then transfer the broccoli rabe and oil mixture to a serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then garnish with the Aleppo pepper, preserved lemon, and sel gris.

Serves 8Recipe from Seasonby Justin Wangler and Tracey Shepos Cenami (Cameron, 2018)