Olive Rice Recipes

CHICKEN AND RICE WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon oregano; cook 30 seconds.
• Add the rice, olives, lemon quarters, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and stir. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 17 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon oregano and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened, about 10 seconds. Add the lemon juice and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about half and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Fluff the rice with a fork. Divide among plates, top with the chicken and pan juices and sprinkle with the chives.

CHINESE OLIVE FRIED RICE (橄榄菜炒饭)

Steps:

• Add bacon to a large nonstick pan and turn to medium heat or medium high heat (*see footnote 3). Stir and cook until golden and the fat is rendered.
• (Optional) If the bacon you use is too fatty, you might get a lot of rendered fat. Remove some of the fat by dipping a paper towel into the pan with a pair of tongs. I personally like to leave a bit of bacon fat in the pan, which will make the rice extra flavorful.
• Add garlic. Stir a few times until fragrant.
• Add olive vegetables. Cook and stir until you can hear a vibrant sizzling. It might only take a few seconds if the pan is properly heated. Olive vegetables contain oil, so your pan should be greased and ready for the rest of the cooking. If you removed too much bacon fat earlier, you might want to add a small spoon of oil here, so the rice won't dry out.
• Add rice. Cook and chop the rice with a spatula until separated into grains and heated through. Swirl in soy sauce and stir to mix well. You should again hear vibrant sizzling, throughout the cooking, without burning the ingredients. Adjust heat accordingly and remove the pan from the stove if it's getting too hot.
• Move everything to one side of the pan. Add cucumber. Cook and stir for a few seconds to heat them.
• Mix cucumber with the other ingredients, and move everything to one side of the pan.
• Add vegetable oil and beaten egg to the other side of the pan. Wait until the bottom sets. Stir everything together. Carefully taste the rice. The cucumber should be cooked through and the rice slightly crisped. Add green onion, stir to mix well.
• Serve warm.

OLIVE RICE

Steps:

• Put rice, water, salt, jalapeño or chile (if using), garlic, and chopped olives into a pan with a tight fitting lid.
• Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and cook for standard directions for rice.
• Fluff with a fork when done, stirring in olive oil.
• Serve with or without soy sauce and sesame oil, for garnish.

RICE WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Soak olives in warm water for 2 hours. Braise onion in oil in large pan over medium heat.
• Add rice and stir for a minute or two, until the rice is well covered with oil.
• Add the water.
• After 8-10 minutes, add the olives.
• Finish cooking rice and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Serve with freshly ground black pepper.

RICE WITH TOMATOES AND BLACK OLIVES

Steps:

• Combine rice and 2 cups of water in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cook a total of 17 minutes, until rice is tender and water has evaporated.
• Meanwhile chop the whole onion; sauté onion in hot oil in nonstick skillet.
• Pit and cut up olives; wash, trim and coarsely chop tomatoes. When onion is tender add the olives and tomatoes and cook over high heat to evaporate liquid.
• Wash, dry and chop basil to make 2 tablespoons. Just before adding tomato mixture to rice, stir in basil. Add mixture to cooked rice and season with optional salt and with pepper.

RICE WITH GREEN ONIONS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemon in long strips.
• Heat olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced green onions and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups water, rice, 1 teaspoon salt and lemon peel. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook without stirring until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Discard lemon peel. Mix chopped olives and parsley into rice. Cover and let stand 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

CHARRED SPRING ONION & OLIVE RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Thread the olives onto metal or bamboo skewers. Heat a griddle pan or light the barbecue, then when the flames have died down and the coals are white, toss the spring onions with the oil and grill for 8-10 mins to cook until tender. Grill the olives for a few mins, turning regularly, until they look a little charred. Remove the spring onions from the grill and cut into bite-sized pieces. Remove the olive skewers from the grill.
• Heat the grains and rice pouches, if using, in the microwave for 2 mins until warm. Toss with the vinegar, some seasoning and the sundried tomatoes with a little drizzle of the oil from the jar. Leave for a few mins for the dressing to be absorbed.
• Toss the olives, spring onions, toasted almonds and celery into the rice. To serve, stir through the manchego, if using, and season to taste.