7 Mediterranean recipes from Ben Poremba's Olio

Olio has charmed Botanical Heights with a continually evolving menu of mezze and larger, shareable plates for more than half a decade. Owner Ben Poremba – the restaurateur behind other local favorites including Elaia, Parigi, Nixta and the forthcoming The Benevolent King in Maplewood – prides himself on Olio’s fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare, which he calls Middle-terranean. 

At Olio, Poremba and executive chef Ben Grupe have mastered the relaxed, fresh flavors we’re obsessed with right now. Here, they share some of the restaurant’s recipes perfect for simple spring meals and elegant entertaining. 

Capers
Sicilian capers from Agostino Recca are unmatched, according to Poremba. “They’re preserved in salt as opposed to brine,” he said. “Rinse them off [and] they taste fresh, not briny. It’s got the real floral flavor of capers.” Be sure to look for “capers in salt,” lest you end up with brine-riddled buds. amazon.com

Olives
“You can buy olives from the store, but the trick is to remove some of the brine,” Poremba said. “Soak them in hot water, dry them out and basically re-flavor them. We do that by cooking them in very low heat in a very aromatic olive oil with bay leaves, coriander, rosemary and citrus peel. We keep them in that oil.”

Olive Oil
Olio utilizes four to six varieties of olive oil for different purposes. Poremba’s favorite for daily use is from Olea Estates, a Greek grove owned by a St. Louis family, but he recommended switching it up, too. Tunisian oils are “aggressive, pungent, nutty and woodsy,” while some Italian oils from the Lago Del Garda region are “subtle and elegant.” Olea Estates, 2566 Metro Blvd., Maryland Heights, 618.888.6532, oleaestates.com

Pita
“There’s a huge controversy,” Poremba said. “A lot of people know pita as pocket bread. I don’t think that’s accurate. It’s generally bread that doesn’t require a lot of finesse; it’s rustic. Ours intentionally doesn’t have a pocket; it’s sponge-like and thick. I love the chewiness. We bake it in a wood-fired oven, which gives it a really nice crust and flavor.” If you want to pick some up grocery shopping, Poremba recommended the Afghan Food Market on South Grand, and said Global Foods Market in Kirkwood boasts a wide selection. Afghan Market, 3732 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.664.5555, Facebook: Afghan Market

Pomegranate Molasses
“Use it like you use very good vinegar in many ways,” Poremba said. “I particularly like pomegranate molasses in things that require agrodolce – sweet and tart stuff. It’s great in salad dressings. I like to drizzle it over fresh cheese like labneh or even ricotta. It’s one of the main ingredients in muhammara and is good on roasted vegetables.” Look for the Cortas brand. Jay International Food Co., 3172 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.772.2552, Facebook: Jay International Foods

Tahini
Poremba would love to get his hands on tahini from Nablus in the Palestinian territories, but importing the ingredient isn’t feasible for day-to-day operations. Olio uses a Lebanese brand called Al Kanater. Global Foods Market, 421 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.835.1112, globalfoodsmarket.com

Recipes

Chickpea Salad
4 to 6 servings

2 red bell peppers
8 cups cooked chickpeas
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped caramelized onions (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pitted and chopped Suri or Castelvetrano olives
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped preserved lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
Braised lamb shoulder (recipe follows)

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

• Char the peppers over a flame until blackened on all sides, about 20 minutes. Place the peppers in a large zip-top bag and let steam until the skins are easy to remove, about 5 minutes. Use a knife to scrape off the skin, cut the peppers in half, scrape out the seeds and remove the stems. 

• Oil the baking sheet and add the peppers in an even layer. Roast 12 minutes to dry, then let cool.

• Cut peppers into strips or dice them.

• In a large bowl, stir together the peppers, chickpeas, cilantro, mint and parsley. Fold in the onions, olive oil, olives, vinegar, preserved lemon and cumin. Serve topped with braised lamb shoulder.

Braised Lamb Shoulder
4 to 6 servings

1½ Tbsp. kosher salt
1½ Tbsp. ras el hanout
1½ Tbsp. sugar
1 3-lb. bone-in lamb shoulder
4 cups lamb, chicken or beef stock
10 garlic cloves
3 to 4 celery stalks, medium-diced
2 large carrots, medium-diced
1 fennel bulb, medium-diced
1 large onion, medium-diced
3 rosemary sprigs
1 thyme sprig
3 Tbsp. harissa, plus more to taste

• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. 

• Stir together the salt, ras el hanout and sugar in a small bowl. 

• Trim the fat off the lamb shoulder and rub the spice mixture all over the meat.

• Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan and add the stock, garlic, celery, carrots, fennel, onion, rosemary and thyme. 

• Cover the pan with parchment, then foil and crimp the edges to seal. Braise 10 hours. 

• Let rest until cool enough to handle. Separate the meat from bones and shred.

• Mix the meat with harissa to taste. Serve over the chickpea salad.

Muhammara
4 to 6 servings

2 to 3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for roasting
3 cups piquillo peppers, preferably Matiz Navarro
1 cup toasted walnuts
1 1/8 tsp. cumin
1/3 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Rub the garlic cloves with olive oil, place on a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Set aside, and reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees.

• Rinse the piquillo peppers and pat dry.

• Oil the baking sheet and add the peppers in an even layer. Roast 12 minutes to dry. Let cool.

• In a food processor, combine the peppers, garlic, walnuts, cumin and cinnamon. Pulse until the pepper mixture forms a smooth paste.

• With the food processor running, add the pomegranate molasses, grapeseed oil and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Continue processing until fully incorporated.

• Serve with crackers or pita, use as spread for sandwiches or as a sauce for grilled meat.

Baba Ganoush
4 to 6 servings

1 cup minced carrot
1 cup minced celery
1 cup minced onion
Grapeseed or canola oil
3 to 4 Sicilian eggplants, or 4 2/3 cups Ziyad canned eggplant
¾ cup tahini
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Fresh mint and pomegranate seeds, for garnish

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

• Place the carrot, celery and onion in a saucepan and add enough oil to just cover the vegetables. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables darken, about 1 hour. Let the sofrito cool and set aside.

• Meanwhile, pierce the eggplants all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast until blackened on all sides, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then cut in half and scoop out the flesh from the eggplant skins. Discard the skins and stems.

• In a food processor, pulse the roasted eggplant in batches until it reaches desired consistency.

• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggplant, 2 tablespoons sofrito (reserve the rest for another use), the tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

• Drizzle with olive oil, garnish with fresh mint and pomegranate seeds and serve with pita.

Tzatziki
4 to 6 servings

1 cup yogurt
1 cup diced, peeled cucumber
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. chopped dill
1½ tsp. honey
1½ tsp. white balsamic vinegar
¾ tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

• Combine all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir well.

• Drizzle on grilled white meat or roasted vegetables such as zucchini. Alternatively, eat with pita or serve as a dip with fresh cucumber.

Caponata
4 to 6 servings

½ eggplant, peeled and medium diced
Kosher salt, to taste
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup small-diced celery
¼ cup small-diced onion
½ cup passata, preferably Mutti*
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped capers
2 Tbsp. chopped green olives
½ Tbsp. sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• In a large mixing bowl, toss the eggplant with salt and let rest 30 minutes. Squeeze the eggplant to remove excess liquid.

• Add the oil to a Dutch oven and preheat over high heat. Add the eggplant and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and onions and cook 2 minutes. Add the passata, vinegar, capers, olives, sugar and black pepper and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool.

• Serve at room temperature on garlic-rubbed toast or bread.

* Passata is a strained tomato puree. Mutti passata is available at John Viviano & Sons Grocers, shopviviano.com.

Shishito Peppers
4 to 6 servings

1 medium onion
1 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ lb. shishito peppers
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¾ cup Israeli feta, diced
2 mint sprigs, roughly chopped
2 dill sprigs, roughly chopped
2 Italian parsley sprigs, roughly chopped
5 to 6 oregano leaves, roughly chopped
2 sprigs basil, cilantro or other fresh herbs, roughly chopped (optional)

• Slice the onion very thin and place in jar.

• In a saucepan over high heat, combine the vinegar, water and sugar and bring to a boil, then pour over the onion. Let cool.

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

• Toss the peppers, olive oil, salt and pepper and place in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast 5 minutes.

• Turn on the broiler. Char the peppers under the broiler until blackened on all sides. 

• Transfer the peppers to a plate and garnish with the feta, pickled onions, mint, dill, Italian parsley and oregano.

Lauren Healey is associate editor at Sauce Magazine.