After a number of requests to share the process involved in creating the marinated olives we serve as an appetizer we thought we'd make the recipe available.
We use three types of olives all of the highest quality that I can lay my hands on:
1. Manzanillas, large lime green coloured - often found stuffed with almonds, anchovy or pimento, none of which I recommend, they must have their stones in. These are the most origional as the are cultivated in Extremadura and neighbouring Andalucia.
2. Pelotins from Alicante and Valencia, a little smaller and darker than the manzanillas .
3. Little dark and intense Arbequinas from Valencia and Catalunya, which are primarily grown for a much-prized, fruity, single variety oil. The recipe would work with any good flavoured green olive - not with black olives though.
It is not worth marinading less than a couple of kilograms at a time the keep for months in a fridge if kept cooler than 8-10 C. Empty say 3kg canned olives into a clean glass or stainless steel vessel with their brine.
Add the following:
100ml sherry vinegar;
6 or so sprigs of fresh thyme, the same of rosemary and a dozen bay leaves;
2 dried Nyora or Romesco peppers - use a dried bell peper if you can't find the Nyoras;
a whole bulb of garlic cut in two;
A lemon or two, roughly peeled and squeezed;
An orange similarly;
2 tablespoons of black peppercorns.
Do not be tempted to add any olive oil - it prevents the marinade being absorbed.
Leave for a couple of weeks, keep covered.
David
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