Olives are one of the star ingredients of the summer season. For an aperitif, a main course or a small savory snack, come (re)discover 9 recipes that feature olives.
Flagship food of mediterranean diet, the olive is a condiment that is used in many culinary preparations. Their colors vary according to their degree of maturation: they are first green, then purple and finally black. The treatment they undergo after harvest can also modify their colour.
Be careful if you are tempted to taste the fruit while it is still attached to the olive tree: its flavor is naturally bitter! The olives acquire their sweetness thanks to the processing of “debitterization“, during which they are immersed in clear water.
These fruits are then preserved in salt, oil or brine (often embellished with herbs and aromatics to enhance their flavors!) for several months, or even a year.
Do not hesitate to enjoy olives in your preparations. They are rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids, which help to control the rate of “bad” cholesterol in the blood. They are also beneficial for your digestive systembecause they protect its walls and stimulate the appetite.
It is possible to taste olives in different ways:
- Alone or stuffed with a preparation (with anchovies or chilli in particular) as an aperitif.
- Pureed in the famous tapenade.
- Added as a condiment to many savory preparations: rice or pasta salads, pizzas, meat in sauce, etc.
- Incorporated into bread dough, focaccia or focaccia.
To delight you with olives, we offer 9 recipes to try, from the traditional tapenade to the most original olive and cheese cookies.
© Shutterstock / Olga Bombologna
2/9 –
Meatballs and olives
Finely chop 2 onions. Rinse and chop the herbs of your choice (parsley, chives, basil, etc.). Mix them with 50 g of green or black olives. In a salad bowl, mix 600 g of ground beef, the onions, 3 minced garlic cloves, the herb and olive mixture, 1 tbsp. at s. of cumin, a little chilli (optional) and 1 egg. Mix the preparation then form balls by hand. Brown the dumplings. Then add 1 brick of tomato coulis (or 2 crushed tomatoes) and 50 g of olives. Thin the sauce with 25 cl of vegetable broth. Leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes.
© Shutterstock / Elena Veselova
3/9 –
Cake with olives and feta
In a bowl, whisk 3 eggs. Incorporate 200 g of flour, 1 sachet of baking powder, 10 cl of milk and 10 cl of olive oil. To mix together. Crumble 160 g of feta and cut 100 g of pitted green olives into thin slices. Add these ingredients to the batter. Mix again. Pour the mixture into a cake tin previously lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C.
© Shutterstock / Anton27
4/9 –
Focaccia with olives and tomatoes
Cook 150 g of potatoes, before mashing them. Dilute 5 g of dry yeast with 3 tbsp. at s. warm water. Let the mixture rest for about fifteen minutes. Mix 500 g of flour with the mashed potatoes. Then add the yeast, 300 ml of water and a drizzle of olive oil. Work the dough by hand: it must become homogeneous and a little soft. Let it rise for 2 hours in a warm place. Then knead the dough, before spreading it on a rectangular dish. Coat it with olive oil, before incorporating halved cherry tomatoes and olives. Sprinkle everything with oregano. Let the dough rise again for 1 hour. Then bake in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes.
© Shutterstock / Caftor
5/9 –
Marinated olives in a jar
Rinse 1 kg of olives, remove the stems and damaged parts. Soak everything in clear water for 10 days, replacing the liquid daily. Taste an olive: if it is still very bitter, it is possible to macerate the fruit for a few additional days. Then boil 1 L of water containing 60 g of salt, before letting it cool. Arrange the herbs and spices of your choice in a storage jar (example of mixture: 2 cloves of garlic, 4 stalks of fennel and 3 bay leaves). Then pour the olives, then the cold brine. The liquid should reach 1 cm from the top of the jar. Close the container. Place it for 7 days at 18°C, then in a cellar or at room temperature for at least 6 months, and ideally 1 year.
© Shutterstock / beaulaz
6/9 –
pissaladiere
Peel and thinly slice 1 kg of white onions. Brown them in a pan with a little olive oil and 2 sprigs of thyme. Let everything simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat. Add at the end of cooking 2 tbsp. at s. of anchovy cream. Then spread 400g of homemade or baker’s bread dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover it with the onion compote. Sprinkle all over with 20 anchovies in oil, previously patted in absorbent paper, as well as 20 black olives. Bake the pissaladière in the oven at 210°C for 20 to 25 minutes.
© Shutterstock / AS Foodstudio
7/9 –
Chicken tagine with olives and candied lemon
Heat a little olive oil in a pot or tagine dish. Arrange 4 chicken thighs (or 8 drumsticks), 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tbsp. c. turmeric, 1 tbsp. c. of grated ginger and 1 pistil of saffron. Mix and brown the meat and onion for 5 minutes. Then add 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. at s. parsley, 2 tbsp. at s. of coriander, and sprinkle everything with a little boiling water. Let the dish cook for 40 minutes, covered. Then remove the chicken pieces, and add 200 g of olives and 2 candied lemons cut into pieces, previously rinsed under water. Continue cooking over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Put the chicken back in the dish before drizzling it with the sauce and serving.
© Shutterstock / Geshas
8/9 –
Tapenade
Place in a blender 200 g of black or green olives, 5 anchovy fillets previously drained, 8 capers, 1 clove of garlic and 3 tbsp. at s. olive oil. Mix everything.
© Shutterstock / Janet Moore
9/9 –
Hummus with olives
Place in a blender 400 g of cooked chickpeas, 12 olives of your choice, 1 clove of garlic, the juice of ½ lemon, 2 tbsp. at s. water, 1 tbsp. at s. olive oil, 1 tbsp. c. sesame puree, ½ tsp. at s. cilantro and ¼ tsp. c. salt. Mix the ingredients gradually. Adjust seasoning if needed. The preparation will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.