Chef notes
You will always find these olives on my table when I’m entertaining. They’re easy to make, delicious and not so filling that you can’t eat your dinner. They only take 10 minutes to prepare, but be sure to do it at least 2 hours ahead of time so they can absorb the marinade. You can store the olives in the refrigerator for up to five days, just bring them to room temperature before serving.
Swap option: Use your favorite type of olives but do use a mix for best results
Ingredients
- 1 organic orange (navel or Cara Cara)
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 (6-ounce) jar (about 1 cup) Castelvetrano olives, drained and patted dry
- 1 (6-ounce) jar (about 1 cup) Kalamata olives, well drained and patted dry
- Flakey sea salt, for serving
Preparation
1.Using a vegetable peeler, remove three (2-inch) long strips of peel from the orange. Using a paring knife, remove any excess pith from the peels and discard. And add the peels to a small saucepan.
2.Juice the orange into the saucepan.
3.Add the oil, bay leaf, garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes.
4.Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook until the edges begin to simmer.
5.Remove from the heat and let marinade steep for 2 minutes.
6.Meanwhile, place the olives in a sealable, air-tight container.
7.Pour the warm oil mixture over the olives.
8.Let sit, at room temperature, for at least 2 hours, flipping the container to toss the contents every 30 minutes.
9.To serve, transfer the olives and marinade into a serving bowl and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
