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Orange and Fennel Marinated Olives

As much as I love to eat crunchy snacks, I also really enjoy the juicy savory bite of olives. But I temper their saltiness with the anise aroma of fennel, the sweetness of orange, and a little heat. Over the years, we’ve been able to get an increasing variety of olives—even in our local markets. I like combining different Mediterranean varieties and always buy them unpitted.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup large green brine-cured olives, preferably Sevillano and Castelvetrano
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
2 (4-inch) strips fresh orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If you’re able to find Sevillano olives, rinse them under cold water for 5 minutes, then soak them in cold water for 2 hours. Drain well.

    Step 2

    Combine the olives in a medium bowl.

    Step 3

    Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chile flakes and toast until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the orange zest and oil. Steep until cool.

    Step 4

    Pour the oil mixture over the olives. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 6 hours or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family. Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.
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