Swordfish with Crushed Olives and Oregano by Alison Roman

Swordfish is not what I thought it would be. Yes, it looks thick and meaty, but for some reason I imagined it to not be so steak-like. Unlike a thick cut of salmon, there was nothing buttery or soft about this fish. It’s tougher. After all, it’s the only kind of fish I can think of that brandishes a sword. 

However, swordfish does score points for being easy to prepare. This recipe calls for seasoning the fish with salt and pepper, before cooking the steaks over a large skillet with olive oil, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Even though I monitored my steaks closely with a meat thermometer to ensure they weren’t overcooked, they still seemed dry. 

I’m slowly growing to appreciate olives more. Alison calls for Castelvetrano olives marinated with olive oil, white wine vinegar and fresh oregano. Once the fish is done and cleared from the skillet, I threw in some sliced garlic and the olive mixture to briefly soften, before pouring it over the plated fish. I did appreciate the briney accents of the olives with this thicker fish. The oil and vinegar juices also helped to supplement any natural fish juices lost in the cooking process. 

Jordan and I both ate our dinner helpings, but the leftovers sat untouched in the fridge for a week before I finally gave into chucking them. I hate food waste. Un-utilized leftovers are among my biggest pet peeves. So it’s telling that I violated my own rules by throwing this fish away – I think swordfish just isn’t for me. 

57 recipes cooked, 168 to go.

Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken with Buttered Tomatoes by Alison Roman

There are a lot of reasons why this dish is featured on the cover of Alison’s second book, nothing fancy. It’s crazy delicious. It’s easy to make: virtually no cooking skill required beyond assembly and sticking it in the oven. Finally, it seems like a blatant oxymoron. How can a dish that fancy, for lack of a better term, be not fancy? Makes you want to open the book to find out, doesn’t it? (I see what you did there, Alison & her book publishers.) 

Important note, by cooking this recipe right off the bat, I was clued into what I think Alison means by the book title, nothing fancy. The food in it sure looks fancy, and definitely tastes fancy. But that doesn’t mean that only advanced cooks can make this food. The skill levels required, and the amount of steps in each recipe, are far less than what you might think. Example A, see Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken on Page 189-190. 

The recipe calls for a whole chicken, 3.5-4 lbs. I bought a whole chicken only a handful of times in the past, as I found it intimidating to both cook and carve a whole bird. (And the bones, bones always spooked me out.) I usually shop at Trader Joes, so that’s where I went to buy this chicken. 

Note on whole chickens at Trader Joes, to give you a lay of the land if you need one. In my recently frequent experience in this section of the store, I’ve learned there are three types of chickens to choose from. There’s the standard chicken: non-organic, large birds in the 5-8 lb. range and a less expensive option. There’s the heirloom chicken: smaller birds in the 2-3.5 lb. range, in a non-organic but all the disclaimers like vegetarian-fed and antibiotic-free, etc., and just as expensive per pound as organic. Then there’s a standard organic chicken but their smallest bird is no less than 5.5 lbs. 

I first made this recipe for Jordan and I, so a 3.5 lb. heirloom chicken seemed best for feeding 2 and having leftovers the next day. I was right. 

The dish was so killer that I had to make it for a larger audience. My in-laws came over a few days later and I reprised it. There were 5 of us total, so I opted for a larger, organic bird of 5.5 lbs, and there were no leftovers to be found. If you’re going to serve this to guests, don’t expect leftovers, both due to the amount of chicken and sheer irresistibility.

Step 1 of the recipe tells you to cover the chicken in salt and pepper. Alison says this can be done right before cooking, but tells you in parentheses that if you have time to do it earlier in the day, do! Consider it a “casual brine.” If there’s one thing I know about cooking meat, it’s that meat always tastes better if it’s had a salt bath first. I’m all in for that casual brine. 

When you’re about 3 hours from meal time, it’s time to assemble your dish. When it comes to the chicken itself, the ingredients are simple and few (not fancy). Fennel seeds, salt, pepper, olive oil, and of course, fresh oregano. I followed her quantities to a tee, and proportionately scaled them up with the 5.5 lb bird. 

The seasoned chicken is nestled in a nest of halved garlic heads and vine-ripened tomatoes, and more fresh oregano. Very little chopping involved, and you don’t even have to remove the paper around the garlic. Throw in some butter and pop her into the oven at a low temperature for 2.5-3 hrs. 

Note about fresh oregano. My Trader Joes doesn’t carry it, so I had to go to Whole Foods to buy it. This isn’t one of those times where you can swap in the dried version and alter the quantity accordingly. It’s gotta be the fresh version. 

At this point, the recipe only tells you when to take the dish out of the oven. My dear friend who gifted me nothing fancy, and whose favorite dish is also this dish, told me to drizzle olive oil over the bird every 30 minutes during the cooking process. Why not keep the chicken as moist and shiny as possible? A wonderful recommendation to follow, if you ask me. But hey, if you need this to be a totally hands-off roast, I get it! Skip the extra olive oil, and I’m sure the chicken will turn out great anyway. In Alison, we trust. 

We’re almost at the point where the dish is ready to be served. Once you remove her from the oven (look for that golden brown skin and jammy tomatoes), you get to spoon some red wine vinegar over the tomatoes and let it sink in for 10 minutes. Then, she’s ready to be carved and served.

Alison wisely recommends serving it with fresh bread. I happen to be on a sourdough baking kick, so I was eager to oblige with homemade bread. But I know that fresh bread from a grocery store, preferably one with a nice soft middle, and crispy crust, will do just fine. Fun tip, the garlic will have been confit-ted, aka turned into a spreadable, caramel-colored clove that I highly recommend spreading over your bread like butter. 

Like I said, this dish is a true winner. One I will return to again and again for hosting and casual weeknight dinners alike. It’s the whole package. Tangy, jammy tomatoes, perfectly moist chicken meat with a golden crispy crust with chopped fennel that gives it a slightly crunchy bite, and spreadable, golden garlic over fresh bread. Serve it with a simple green salad, and you will be thanking yourself, and dear Alison, for days to come. 

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I made this recipe another time for a family that is very near to my heart. The Hammitt/Self family lives out a grace-centered, actively service-oriented type of love for one another that is contagious. This chicken was the backdrop to a meaningful evening with them. Rachel graciously offered to take these photos for my blog — I was just about to launch it then, though I’m just posting these now. Thank you, Rachel. I love you!

56 recipes cooked, 169 to go.

Photography credit goes to my brilliant friend, Rachel Hammitt @ Hammitt Design: https://hammittdesign.com/

Grilled Lamb Shoulder over Fresh Garlicky Tomatoes by Alison Roman

Lots of things went right, and a few things went wrong. That’s the most concise report I can give about making this dish. 

Things that went right… 

• The marinade for this lamb is so simple and so full of umami, that it really could be applied to any cut of lamb or steak. It’s just salt, pepper, olive oil, and anchovies. Alison asks for 12 anchovies (about the amount that comes in a Cento can from TJ’s), but I cut it down to 9. I’m always a bit cautious with my anchovy portions, in case they become too fishy. All 4 of us who ate the lamb gave the flavor two big thumbs up. 

• Fresh garlicky tomatoes are such a refreshing anecdote. Especially after the lamb juices had seeped into the meat. Not to mention their visual appeal. 

• I didn’t have access to a grill, so instead, we cooked the lamb in a large cast iron skillet on the stove. With the help of a digital meat thermometer, the searing and cooking were very straightforward, and took about 10 minutes total. 

• Pals! Who doesn’t love cooking with them! I did most of the ingredient prep at home, but brought it all over to Madeline and Sam’s home to do final prep and cooking. And I didn’t cook alone. Which warrants my second MAP moment! (MAP = Make Alison Proud)

  • In the introduction to nothing fancy, Alison states her three guiding principles for having people over for a meal. One of them is to ask for help. This has several benefits. Chief among them is it’s nice to have help! Especially when there are multiple dishes in the fire, and they all need tending to/plating at the same time. Sharing the work also helps your guests feel more invested in the meal. I don’t know about you, but I certainly take extra delight in meals that I’ve had a small hand in. Finally, collective cooking brings about a deeper sense of community. Which is why I asked all of the meal partakers to participate in the preparation. It tasted that much better because of it. 

Things that went wrong… 

• First of all (and this is my bad) I read the recipe a little too hastily before grocery shopping. I did not notice the call for boneless lamb shoulder. Instead, I picked up bone-in shoulder pieces at a Middle Eastern market near my home. I don’t think the bones made much of a difference, if any, but it did mean there was less meat to go around. 

• The quality of the meat itself was not great. It had a lot of fat and was too tough for my preference. I’m a lamb novice. It’s clear that I don’t know how to evaluate a good cut from a bad one. But I now know a few things to look for when shopping for lamb. 

I’d like to make this one again, but next time go for a more quality piece of meat and maybe try my hand at grilling. 

55 recipes cooked, 170 to go.

Lemony White Beans and Escarole with Anchovy and Parmesan by Alison Roman

To the three of you who read this blog somewhat consistently — I know that you know that I’m obsessed with beans, and saying so again will sound awfully redundant to you…. But what else can I express other than admiration for this versatile source of protein? And here, another way to make them that isn’t tomato-oriented or meant to fill a tortilla. An entirely new way to treat your beans! 

We’re talking oodles of garlic, anchovies, capers, and red pepper flakes, each infusing a small pool of olive oil. Cannelini beans marinating in the umami-rich liquid, losing all sense of having been in a can. Big pieces of torn swiss chard (or escarole) — some wilted, some fresh. Parmesan shavings, parsley and fresh mint scattered over the top. We’re talking lunch, dinner, a midday snack, or a midnight snack. Main dish or side dish — your call. 

I’ve made this twice in the past week. (When I enjoy something, I want it again right away.) Once it was served just by itself for dinner. The second time as a side with Alison’s Grilled Lamb Shoulder. Both were excellent. 

Here are some ways that you, too, could make this dish over and over without getting tired of it:

1. You could forgo the greens and just make the beans. 

2. You could swap the chard or escarole for kale. 

3. You could ditch the greens, double the parmesan, melting it over the beans under the broiler, and serve it with crackers like a dip. 

4. You could spread the beans over sourdough toast. 

Once again, Alison has presented us with yet another inventive way to make beans the center of everyone’s attention. She has my attention, at least. 

54 recipes cooked, 171 to go.

Sticky Roasted Carrots with Citrus and Tahini by Alison Roman

I had a realization the other day about Alison’s use of the word “sticky.” At least when it comes to use in a recipe title, both these sticky carrots and her sticky walnuts use maple syrup, a naturally sticky substance, as a sweetening agent in the roasting process. But oddly enough, both the carrots and walnuts didn’t turn out to be very sticky. That’s about as far as that realization went. Anyways…

Regardless of the lack of stickiness, this carrot dish is rather inventive in its flavor pairing, and in true Alison fashion, is unapologetically bold. I’ve said before that Alison commits wholeheartedly to flavor, and this recipe is no exception. There’s nothing subtle about it. 

The elements at play here are the subtle sweetness of the carrots. I prefer smaller carrots like the multicolored Le Petite bag from Trader Joes. They’re pre-peeled and trimmed so the preparation is simpler. The quartered carrots are tossed with maple syrup, thinly sliced citrus (I used a navel orange), red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. The other element present is half a red onion, sliced into .5 inch chunks and lightly pickled in lemon juice a few minutes before roasting. The combination of these spicy, acidic and sweet flavors and textures make this not your average veggie side. 

As if this needed another dimension, a simple tahini sauce coats the serving platter before placing the carrots and onions on top. I’m not always in the mood for a strong sesame seed presence. However, I found myself reaching to dip some of my carrots into the sauce throughout the meal. The tahini’s nutty flavor and smooth texture added another welcome complexity. 

All in all, I found Alison’s signature boldness a perfect strategy for cooking this mild vegetable. There will be more of these carrots in my future.

53 recipes cooked, 172 to go.