Crackers & Dips (16 page)

Cold olives leave me cold. You can marinate them, stuff them, or purée them into a tapenade, but if they’re cool, I’m bored to tears. Warm olives are another matter. Applying just a little heat to olives transforms them into a fruity, sensuous pleasure.

For this warm olive tapenade, I use a mix of meaty, bright green Castelvetrano olives (find them at olive bars or in jars at better markets) and brinier kalamata olives to achieve a balance of sweet, salty, fruity, and bitter flavors.

This warm dip goes splendidly with the Caesar’s Sablés (
page 48
, pictured opposite), the Smoked Almond Thins (
page 62
), and the buttery Macadamia Nut and Coconut Flour Club Crackers (
page 73
). It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, so it’s a great homemade holiday gift; consider making a double batch so you can share the warm olive love.

MAKES 1½ CUPS/360 ML

1 cup/160 g pitted Castelvetrano green olives

½ cup/80 g pitted kalamata black olives

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon

In a food processor, pulse all the olives until they form a chunky paste the consistency of granola, or mound them on a cutting board and chop with a sharp chef’s knife.

In a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and thyme and sauté until the shallot is tender and the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 minute. Add the chopped olives and preserved lemon and cook, stirring frequently, until the olives are hot to the touch, 3 minutes. Transfer the tapenade to a serving bowl and serve immediately. (Once cool, the tapenade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm in a small saucepan or in the microwave before serving.)

(DON’T TELL THEM IT’S VEGAN) MUSHROOM AND CASHEW PÂTÉ

Vaguely reminiscent of the mushroom pâtés served in the hippie era, this flavorful spread tastes much more sophisticated thanks to a mix of mushrooms (shiitake and portobello), fresh herbs, and a whiff of truffle oil. Be sure to scrape the black gills on the underside of the portobello mushrooms and discard them; the gills will turn the entire pâté an unattractive black color. For the best flavor, make this pâté a few hours in advance and serve it at room temperature or warm with Paper-Thin Semolina Cracker Sheets (
page 45
).

MAKES 1⅔ CUPS/405 ML

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8 oz/225 g portobello mushrooms, stems and black underside gills discarded, coarsely chopped

4 oz/110 g shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps chopped

Kosher salt

⅓ cup/75 ml dry white vermouth or dry white wine

½ cup/60 g toasted cashews

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1½ tsp finely grated organic lemon zest

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 tsp soy sauce

½ to 1 tsp white truffle oil

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the portobellos and shiitakes and a generous pinch of salt and sauté until the mushrooms have softened and have given off their liquid, 4 minutes. Add the vermouth and sauté, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has nearly evaporated, 1 minute.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor. Add the cashews, parsley, lemon zest, thyme, and soy sauce. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl once or twice. Transfer the pâté to a microwave-safe bowl and allow the mixture to stand 1 hour to meld flavors. Reheat in the microwave until warm, add ½ tsp of the truffle oil, and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more truffle oil if desired. The pâté can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use. Microwave until warm before serving.

ST. JACK’S CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

There are dishes that cause me to lose all self-restraint. This rich, silky chicken liver mousse from Chef Aaron Barnett of the charming Lyon-style bistro St. Jack in southeast Portland is one of those dishes. I embarrass myself (and my husband) with moans of delight every time I order this version of the French classic. Chef Barnett serves his mousse with slices of crusty baguette, but the Perfect Crostini (
page 90
) or the Paper-Thin Semolina Cracker Sheets (
page 45
) are excellent, crispier options.

MAKES 1 CUP/240 ML

½ lb/225 g chicken livers

1 cup/240 ml milk

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp finely chopped shallots

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tbsp honey

1 to 2 tbsp brandy

½ cup/120 ml heavy whipping cream

Start the mousse at least 6 hours and up to 1 day before you plan to serve it. In a medium non reactive bowl, combine the chicken livers with the milk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 1 day. Drain the livers and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season the livers generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until the shallots are translucent and the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 minutes. Scrape the shallots and garlic into a small bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the sauté pan with a paper towel, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan, and return it to the stove over high heat. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, carefully add the chicken livers, reduce the heat to medium-high, and sear the livers until they are deeply browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (The livers will pop and spit quite a bit; if you have a splatter screen, now is a good time to put it to use.)

Return the shallot-garlic mixture to the pan along with the honey. Add 1 tbsp of the brandy, carefully tilt the pan to ignite the alcohol if you have a gas burner, or use a kitchen match if you have an electric burner, and cook until the flames subside and the liquid in the pan is reduced to a thick glaze, about 45 seconds.

Transfer the chicken liver mixture to a food processor. Add the cream and process until the mixture is smooth; it will look like thick cream of mushroom soup, but never fear, the mousse will firm up a bit as it cools. Use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Taste and add the remaining brandy or season with salt and pepper, if desired. Refrigerate until completely chilled and then cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

TRIESTE-STYLE CRAB GRATIN

All along the northeastern coast of Italy, there are delicious versions of this hot crab dip. I found my favorite in a minuscule candlelit trattoria nestled in the harbor of Trieste. Unlike American versions that include heavy doses of mayonnaise and cheese, Italians let the flavor of the main ingredient shine by pairing the crab with simple flavors—parsley, lemon, and, most notably, mashed potatoes. The use of potatoes in this hot dip may seem unusual, but they give the gratin a light, creamy texture that will leave your guests guessing and reaching for more dip!

Serve Trieste-Style Crab Gratin with neutral-flavored crackers like the Soda Water Crackers with Alder Smoked Salt (
page 26
) or the Smoked Almond Thins (
page 62
), or pair it with the Black Pepper Taralli (
page 53
).

MAKES 2½ CUPS/600 ML

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

Fine sea salt

5 tbsp/75 ml heavy whipping cream

2 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest, plus 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

6 oz/170 g Dungeness or blue crabmeat, picked over

½ cup/20 g fresh breadcrumbs (see Dip Tip)

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Place the potato cubes in a medium pot and cover with enough cold water to come 2 in/5 cm over the potatoes. Add 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 14 minutes. Drain the potatoes, place them in a large bowl, and mash until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and pepper and stir to combine; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5. Coat a 3-cup/700-ml gratin dish with cooking spray. In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it is translucent but not browned, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 45 seconds. Pour the onion mixture into the bowl with the mashed potatoes and stir well to combine. Gently fold the crabmeat into the potato-onion mixture and season with salt, if desired. Transfer the mixture to the gratin dish.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the olive oil. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the gratin. (The gratin can be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.) Bake the gratin uncovered until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Dip Tip:
Dried breadcrumbs (the kind that come in a can) are not interchangeable with fresh, springy breadcrumbs! To make fresh breadcrumbs, tear a sandwich roll (such as a Kaiser bun) into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces and pulse in a food processor until finely ground. One bun will make about 1¼ cups/65 g of crumbs. Keep any leftover crumbs in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer for future use; you’ll thank yourself later.

ALBACORE TUNA TARTARE

WITH HIJIKI

There are few better foods to indulge in than wild albacore tuna caught off the Pacific Northwest coast between midsummer and early fall. The fish is milder than its larger bluefin and yellowtail brethren, with a pearly pink flesh that needs little more than a simple soy dressing to adorn it. It’s so good raw it’s a travesty that so much of the fish ends up packed into cans!

Because the albacore in this dip is raw, it’s crucial to buy very fresh fish labeled “sashimi grade” for flavor’s and safety’s sake. Serve this Japanese-inspired tartare with Asian-style crackers like the Crispy Wonton Triangles (
page 77
) for an upscale appetizer or simply scoop it up with Vietnamese Shrimp Chips (
page 87
) for a midnight nosh.

MAKES ⅔ CUP/165 ML

2 tsp dried hijiki seaweed (see Dip Tip)

½ cup/120 ml water

8 oz/225 g sashimi-grade raw albacore tuna loin

½ serrano or jalapeño chile, finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp soy sauce

1½ tsp lemon-infused olive oil or canola oil

1½ tsp dark (toasted) sesame oil

1 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest

2 pinches ground white pepper

In a small bowl, combine the hijiki and water and set aside for 30 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, freeze the tuna for 30 minutes to make it firmer and thereby easier to dice.

Drain the seaweed, chop it, and place it in a medium bowl. Slice the tuna against the grain into ¼-in-/6-mm-thick slabs. Stack a few slabs, cut them into ¼-in-/6-mm-wide strips, and then cut the strips crosswise to create small cubes of tuna about ¼ in/6 mm square or smaller. Repeat with all the tuna and place the diced fish in the bowl with the hijiki.