Marinated Olives with Orange and Chile
Spain produces a wide variety of olives, from the popular manzanillo to the big, meaty gordal to the Arbequina, a popular choice for making olive oil. Choose your favorite for this recipe, in which olives are slowly simmered and served warm to bring out their flavor. If you can find blood oranges, they look especially pretty in this simple starter.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
- 1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 dried red chiles, or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 cups (8 oz./250 g) black or green Spanish olives
Directions
In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, combine the olive oil, vinegar, orange slices and whole chiles or red pepper flakes. Slowly bring to a simmer. Add the olives, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
To serve, using a slotted spoon, remove the olives, orange slices and chiles from the oil and transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm. Serves 6.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen