Fregole?

While I was buzzing around the market at Kerrytown the other day I happened across a product that I’d never used before: fregole. Fregole is from Sardinia. It is an extra large couscous that has been toasted. It can be cooked like pasta or like risotto. I threw it in my shopping basket and then came home to hunt for a recipe.

I found one that not only looked interesting and yummy but also made use of the fresh herbs I have growing on my deck steps. The recipe Fregole with Roasted Vegetables calls for rosemary-infused olive oil. Instead of purchasing some, I decided to find a recipe for making my own since I have rosemary growing and I always have olive oil.

I decided to round out the meal with some gorgeous huge scallops I saw at the market as well.

First step was to make the oil:

Rosemary Infused Oil

1 cup olive oil
5-6 fresh rosemary (each 5 inches long)

Combine oil and rosemary in heavy saucepan
Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature
Transfer the sprigs to a small bottle with top
Add the oil and put lid on
Refrigerate and use within a week or so

Fregole with Roasted Vegetables

2 red onions peeled and cut in eight wedges
6 tsp of rosemary oil
4 large portobello mushroom caps
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cube vegetable bouillon, no salt added
2 cups water
1 cup fregole
2 Tbsp of chopped chives

Preheat over to 450

In a roasting pan, toss onion with 2 tsp of oil. In separate roasting pan, drizzle remaining 2 tsp oil over mushroom caps. Place both pans in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Add the garlic to the onions and return to oven for 5 minutes.

Dissolve the broth cube in 2 cups boiling water. Add 2 tsp of oil to saucepan and heat. Add the fregole and toss it well in the oil. Add ½ cup of broth and then just a ladle at a time stirring the fregole (like doing a risotto) until it is soft but still has a slight bite—10 minutes or so. Serve about ½ cup fregole with each mushroom cap and some of the onions and garlic to each person. Garnish with chives.

Sautéed Scallops

Make a quick marinade of balsamic vinaigrette, rosemary oil and minced garlic and let the scallops sit in that for about 20 minutes. Sauté them quickly about 3 minutes on one side and 2 on the other. They cook fast and I like to turn off the heat and just let them sit a bit to finish cooking.