The Power of Chili Oil
I have a love/hate relationship with the Mariani family of Scribe Winery. I love them because they own a winery in Sonoma with an old hacienda where they make incredible food grown on site and cooked in a wood oven fueled by oak felled from the property while the singer songwriter wife of one of the owners plays piano on the patio. Which is also why I hate them.
If you watch any of their Hacienda at Home videos featuring the sister of the family, Kelly Mariani, you’ll get the feeling that you too can effortlessly create Mediterranean-inspired dishes in a world of beauty—if only you lived on a Sonoma vineyard.
Her style is a combination of rustic and elegant that relies on the quality of the simple ingredients. When I saw this chili oil (which she used on Dungeness crabs pulled from the Pacific that morning and grilled over a wood fire—of course!) I knew I had to incorporate it into my cooking.
It’s basically a chimichurri with dried chilis. I used smoked paprika in mine to create a Spanish version, but guajillo or ancho powder would give it more heat.
I used it on rare Big Eye tuna steaks from my fisherman’s CSA, Get Hooked. And I also threw it on this carrot dish I riffed from a dinner at Outpost at the Goodland.
Charred Carrots over Turmeric Yogurt and Dukkah:
Char carrots on the grill or in the oven/broiler. Make sure the insides are cooked through. For the yogurt sauce, add turmeric to your desired color and taste, and a spoonful of tahini for a nutty flavor. Top with Dukkah and a generous drizzle of the chili oil. It may need another squeeze of lemon to bring it all together.
Grilled Tuna Steaks:
Rinse, pat dry, and leave your tuna out to temp for an hour or so. Cut your steaks to an inch thickness if they aren’t already this helps to cook the right amount without sticking to the grill. Cover them with the chili oil and another sprinkle of sea salt. Grill over high heat for about 1 minute each side. Be careful when you flip not to tear the filets. Hit them with another squeeze of lemon and drizzle the chili oil over them before serving!
See the video below for the chili oil recipe.
