January’s Olive Oil & Balsamic of the Month

Grapefruit & Greens Salad with Avocado, Pistachios and a Grapefruit Vinaigrette

This is a cheerful salad for winter. The a tangy pink grapefruit awakens the palate while the dried cranberries and pistachios add more layers of flavor, interest and delight to the dish. Leave off the cheese if you wish. Adapted from The Olive Oil and Vinegar Lover’s Handbook. Serves 4.

Vinaigrette:

• 3 Tbsp Sigona’s Grapefruit White Balsamic
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:

• A mix of spinach and arugula, a generous handful per serving
• 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced lengthwise
• 2 to 3 Rio Star grapefruits, peel and pith sliced away, fruit supremed* or sliced into rounds
• About 1/3 cup pistachios
• About 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, optional

Directions: For the vinaigrette, whisk the balsamic, shallot, Dijon and honey together in a bowl. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil, mixing until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a large serving dish or on individual salad plates, arrange the greens with a few slices of avocado and grapefruit supremes or slices in an attractive pile. Sprinkle with the pistachios and cranberries, then top with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings, if using. With a light hand, drizzle a little of the vinaigrette on the salad/s. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.

*Supreming citrus: It takes time and patience, but is well worth the effort! To do this, cut the top and bottom off of your citrus fruit. Slice the peel from the fruit, top to bottom, getting as close to the flesh as possible. Once the peel is removed, slice any remaining pieces of white pith from the fruit so no white remains. Then, working over a bowl to catch the juices, slice closely along the sides of each membrane to neatly remove the citrus segments in between. And there you have it!

One Skillet Chicken with a Satsuma-Vanilla & Marmalade Glaze

This dish is similar to orange chicken from your favorite takeout restaurant. Serve this dish with sautéed broccolini or even garlic mushrooms. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Sigona’s Satsuma Vanilla White Balsamic
• 1/4 cup marmalade, such as tangerine marmalade by Stonewall Kitchen
• 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Persian Lime Olive Oil (or try Wild Rosemary Olive Oil for a different layer of flavor)
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic and the marmalade. Set aside.

Heat the Persian Lime olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken then add them to the skillet. Cook chicken for about 10 minutes, flipping once, until chicken is cooked through and is crispy brown on the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

To the same skillet, over medium heat, add the balsamic mixture. Stir, scraping the brown bits up from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 minute. Reintroduce chicken to the skillet, spooning the sauce over the chicken. Simmer the ingredients together for about two minutes then remove from the heat.

Transfer chicken to a serving dish, drizzle with remaining glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Roasted Fresh Oysters with Persian Lime & Mango Pico de Gallo

Oysters with a tropical twist will transport you straight to the tropical beaches of Mexico. Baking the oysters with a drizzle of our Persian lime olive oil infuses the meat with flavor that pairs perfectly with the mango pico de gallo. Serves 4 to 6.

Mango Pico de Gallo:

• 3 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium mango, peeled and diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (keep the seeds for more heat)
• About half an onion, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 to 2 tsp Sigona’s Persian Lime Oil, to taste
• A pinch or two salt, to taste

Oysters:

• 2 to 4 cups coarse kosher or rock salt (as needed for creating a stabilizing layer in a baking dish)
• About 12 to 16 oysters on the half shell (see shucking tips below)
• Sigona’s Persian Lime Olive Oil, for drizzling

Directions: Mix together the ingredients for the pico de gallo. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside to allow the flavors to meld while you prepare the oysters.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread the salt in a shallow baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Lay the oysters in their bottom shells atop the salt, nestling them in to stabilize and balance them so they don’t lose any of their liquid. Drizzle a half teaspoon of Persian lime oil into each oyster.

Bake the oysters for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the oysters begin to curl and brown.

Serve oysters topped with a tablespoon or more of the mango pico de gallo.

How to shuck an oyster:

• Rinse and scrub the outside of the oysters. To protect your hand from both the oyster and the knife, wrap a tea towel over one hand and use it to hold the oyster firmly, rounded side down, so the liquid inside the oyster stays inside when opened.
• Working over a bowl to catch any liquid that escapes, place the tip of an oyster shucking knife at the base of the hinge of the oyster and twist the knife, using pressure, to gently but firmly lever and pry open the hinge. As the shell opens, slide the knife under the top shell to release the attached part of the oyster, then finish removing the top shell. If any liquid was dumped from the bottom shells, return it to the oysters before cooking.