There are very few occasions, dishes, and cocktails that I can think of that don’t go better with a side of olives and crusty bread. Late afternoon snack? Yes. Holiday hosting appetizer? Fly in the olives. A late night candle lit cocktail? Perfection. This is the kind of non-recipe recipe that you can scale up or down easily based on your needs and can play with what you have on hand.
The secret to showstopping olives is all about the quality of the ingredients (and tools!) you’re using, and of course the use of heat. By heating the olives with aromatics in olive oil you are doing three key things:
1. Blooming the spices. Spices are full of fat soluble compounds that are released when you heat them in a fat like olive oil, making the spices more aromatic, vibrant, and deeply infused into the dish.
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- This works for all kinds of cooking. Curry? Bloom your spices in oil or coconut milk. Brownies? Bloom your cocoa powder (technically not a spice) in your warm oil/butter + chocolate mixture.
2. Warming the olives makes them tender and soft, making for an even delectable first bite.
3. Seasoning your cast iron!