Olives Anytime with John Ash

July 28, 2003

Olives Anytime with Chef John Ash

From the Wine Country

For any of you who have traveled to Spain and been to a
tapas bar, you'll remember that one of the staples served
there are olives in a myriad of forms. (In case you don't
know about tapas they are little dishes of savory and
sweet snacks that are served with wine—often nutty
sherries or crisp sparkling white wines known as Cavas.)

Tapas bars are all the rage in many
American cities because it's a fun, casual way to dine
and share conversation. I always have good olives on
hand for casual entertaining. If you can, be sure to select
those that are still "alive", that is not canned or heat
processed. Good delis and natural foods stores will display
them at room temperature in big crocks or vats and that's
what you want to look for.

I've suggested varieties in these recipes but use whatever you like. The world
of olives is vast and it's a treat to taste your way through it. Here are a
couple of my favorite recipes to get you started.

FRIED OLIVES, LEMONS AND CAPER BERRIES

This is one of those little nibbles that is very easy to make and almost addictive once you start eating them. You can use olives with pits, which I find have a more intense flavor, or without as you choose. Be sure to let everyone know if the pits are in however!

Remember to keep the oil at 350 - 375 degrees as you fry and you'll end up with crisp, light and non-greasy little tidbits. Deep frying really can be relatively healthy as long as you do it right!

Serves at least 6 as an hors d' oeuvres.

Olive Oil for frying
2 cups olives such as Gaeta, Cerignola, Kalamata or Nicoise
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 medium lemons, scrubbed and sliced thinly into rounds
1 cup caper berries, drained, rinsed and patted dry
1-1/2 cups rice or pastry flour

Garnish: Finely chopped fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, chervil or a combination

Heat 2 inches of olive oil in a deep saucepan to 350 degrees (suggest you use a deep fry thermometer). Drain the olives and pat dry. Whisk the egg, milk, cumin and cayenne together in a bowl. Toss the olives, lemons and caper berries in the flour to coat. Shake off excess and dip in the milk mixture. Lightly coat in flour again and deep fry in batches until golden brown, 3 - 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 225 degree oven while you finish the frying. Serve warm topped with chopped herbs.

OLIVES AND ALMONDS

The combination of these two makes a fantastic little snack to serve with wine or cocktails. Because I'm a California boy I use our local crop. If possible get those that have been roasted in the shell (not the hard outer shell but the soft inner shell which is very easy to open.

For an interesting variation, see if you can find Marcona almonds. These come from Spain and unlike our California varieties have a hard outer shell and are larger and flatter than California varieties. In Spain the Marconas are peeled and then fried in olive oil and lightly salted and that's how you'll find them in our markets.

The recipe below assumes you can't find either and uses whole peeled almonds which are generally available in supermarkets.

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup whole raw almonds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
1 cup Lucques, Picholine, Cerignola or Gaeta olives
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper

Toast the almonds in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or so or until they are browned and fragrant. Nuts need to be toasty but not burned or else they will be bitter. Remove and toss the warm nuts with one tablespoon of the olive oil and lightly salt.
Briefly rinse the olives, pat dry with paper towels and toss with remaining two tablespoons oil, thyme and lemon zest. Add a grind or two of pepper if desired and mix with the almonds. Serve with a little bowl on the side for olive pits!

For more of John's thoughts and great recipes. Go here.