Spiced Olives With Lemon And Fennel Recipes

WARM MARINATED OLIVES

Steps:

• Drain the green and black olives from the brine or oil that they're packed in and place them in a medium bowl. Add the orange zest, garlic, fennel seeds, thyme leaves, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Pour the olive oil over the mixture, add the thyme sprigs and toss to combine.
• Transfer the mixture, including the olive oil, to a medium (10-inch) sauté pan. Heat over medium heat until the oil begins to sizzle. Lower the heat and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the olives and garlic are heated through and fragrant. Serve warm right from the pan or transfer to a serving dish. Offer a small dish for the pits.

LEMON FENNEL OLIVES

Steps:

• Put a layer of olives in the bottom of a glass jar. Add several slices of lemon, fennel and garlic, and sprinkle with grains of pepper and some fennel seeds. Continue layering olives and flavorings until jar is full. Cover olives with oil and set aside to store in a cool dark place until ready to give or serve.

FENNEL BRAISED WITH OLIVE OIL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving a handful of the fronds. Quarter the bulbs. Set each quarter on its side and slice off most of the core. Cut the quarters into wedges about 1-inch thick (don't worry if some pieces fall off the wedge-use those too).
• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook, without stirring, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and let some more pieces brown for a minute or two.
• Stir in 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Simmer, shaking the pan and adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel fronds and mix them with the lemon zest.
• When the fennel is tender, stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the olives, remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Transfer the fennel to a platter. Sprinkle the fennel frond mixture over the top, drizzle with additional olive oil and serve.

BAKED OLIVES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add fennel and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until fennel is tender.
• In a small baking dish combine olives, red wine, garlic and Sauteed fennel. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil.
• Bake, uncovered, until olives and fennel are heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with chunks of peasant bread

WARMED SPICED OLIVES

Steps:

• Toast fennel seeds in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add lemon zest, bay leaves, olives, oil, and Aleppo pepper and cook, stirring, until just warmed through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm.

CITRUS MARINATED OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes thyme, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the olives and cook, stirring, until just warm, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and orange juice and transfer to a decorative jar or serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WARM OLIVES WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Prepare a hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven, cooker, or grill.
• Soak the picholine and niçoise olives in water to cover for 10 minutes, then drain. Combine the drained olives, oil-cured olives, oil, thyme, garlic, fennel seeds, and orange zest in a baking dish and roast uncovered until the garlic is fragrant and the olives are hot, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Toss to combine. Let cool slightly, then serve warm. To store, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month. The flavor gets better with time. Rewarm to serve.