Main Course: It's oil right

WITH WINTER UPON US IT'S TIME TO THINK OF DISHES THAT ARE TUMMY-WARMING AS WELL AS TASTY, WRITES HILARY BILLER

OLIVE OIL EGGS WITH HARISSA - Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 185ml ( cup) olive oil
• 10-15ml (2-3 tsp) harissa paste

• 10ml (2 tsp) chilli sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped

• 15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

• 5ml (1 tsp) salt
• 4 English muffins (or 4 slices of any good bread) warmed
• 4 extra-large eggs

• 100g mozzarella cheese, grated

• Black pepper, to taste

• Method:

Whisk 125ml ( cup) of the oil with the harissa, chilli sauce, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Cover and set aside. (This can be made the day before and stored in the fridge.)

• Heat remaining oil in a large, non-stick pan and fry eggs to your liking. Place eggs on muffins and top each with a dollop of harissa paste.

Sprinkle grated cheese over and place under a preheated grill until cheese is just melted and paste is warmed through. Serve with a grinding of black pepper.

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN WITH DRIED FIGS AND OLIVES - Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 dried figs, quartered
• 375ml (1 cups) red wine
• Handful pitted black olives
• 80g ( cup) butter
• 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 large chicken, spatchcocked
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 30ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

Method:

Soak figs overnight in wine, then add olives. Heat butter and oil in a large oven-proof casserole on stove top. Season chicken and fry skin side down until brown.

Do not turn. Sprinkle over onion and garlic and fry for another minute or so. Add figs, wine and olives, cover and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C till chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.

 Remove chicken from pan and bring remaining liquid to the boil, scraping to loosen any stuck bits and adding extra stock if necessary. Serve chicken with sauce poured over, garnished with parsley.

OLIVE-STUFFED FISH FILLETS - Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 firm white fish fillets (such as angelfish or dorado)
• Salt and pepper
• 60ml ( cup) calamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 4 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
• 60ml ( cup) olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay out the fish fillets and season generously. Top with chopped olives and tomatoes.

Drizzle over half the olive oil and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Roll each fish fillet up, starting at the tail end. Secure with 1 or 2 toothpicks.

Place the fish in a baking dish, drizzle over the remaining olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through, depending on the thickness of the fish. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve on a bed of wilted spinach.

LAMB MAJORCA - Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6-8 lamb chops
• 60g ( cup) cake flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 125ml ( cup) lamb or beef stock
• 125ml ( cup) white wine (or use extra stock)
• 5ml (1 tsp) dried mixed herbs
• 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 large orange, peeled and segmented
• Large handful stuffed green olives
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

Coat the lamb shops in seasoned flour. Preheat the oil in a large, non-stick pan, brown the lamb on both sides and set aside.

 Fry the onion in the same pan till soft. Return lamb chops to pan with stock, wine, herbs and extra seasoning.

Cook till just tender, then add the red pepper slices, orange segments and olives. Heat through for about 10 minutes. Serve with mash and sauce spooned over.

PISSALADIERE SPIRALS - Makes 12-14

Ingredients:

• 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 3-4 large onions, finely sliced
• 30ml (2 tbsp) sugar
• 400g ready-made butter puff pastry
• 12 anchovies, chopped
• 16 black olives, pitted and sliced
• Black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:

In a large pan, heat the oil and gently cook the onions till very soft. Add sugar and cook till caramelised. Set aside to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 220°C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a rectangle 30 x 20cm. Spread with the cooled onion mixture, then sprinkle over the anchovies and olives.

Roll up from the long end. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 3cm slices and place on a baking tray sprayed with cooking spray. Brush lightly with egg, ensuring the pastry is completely covered, and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Serve warm.