Photo by Charlotte Hull
Whether you’re headed off to an end-of-the-semester party or looking for a tasty bite while watching movies (I mean, studying) at home, these marinated olives make a delicious snack. They’re easy to make, keep well in the fridge and show well at parties. You can substitute other herbs and spices, but this mix of citrus, thyme, coriander, chili, bay and garlic is tried and true. Castelvetrano (green) and Kalamata (purple) are my favorite olives to marinate, but feel free to play around with different varietals. I prefer to use whole olives (with pits) because they hold up better when heated, but pitted olives would be fine too. The most important thing to remember is to keep the heat low; you are gently infusing the olives, not cooking them. Then leave your spices in the mix; they’ll continue to flavor the olives and make a good looking garnish.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Olives with pits (as many kinds as you’d like)
Olive oil
Thyme
Citrus peel (lemon and orange pair best)
Coriander
Bay leaf
Chili pod
Garlic
Directions:
Photo by Charlotte Hull
1. Infuse spices and garlic in olive oil over low heat for about 5 minutes. The idea is to infuse the oil, not to achieve color.
Photo by Charlotte Hull
2. Drain olives, discarding the brine.
3. Add olives to the pan. Toss (or stir carefully) to coat olives with infused oil.
Photo by Charlotte Hull
4. Gently warm olives through, about 10 minutes.
5. Serve warm or room temperature.
TIP: Olives can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to eat. If you do refrigerate them, warm the olives in a pan or bring them to room temperature before serving, as the oil will congeal in the fridge.