Flavor-packed beauties worth having in your fridge for late night snacking or making a few days before friends arrive. Bonus? Dunking bread in the infused olive oil once the olives run out. Feel free to toy around with ingredients based on what you can find and what feels most seasonal.
PARTS
— 1 lb Castelvetrano olives, drained
— 1 cup (good) olive oil
— 2 tsp fennel seeds
— 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
— a few fresh bay leaves (if you can’t find fresh, use dried but remove from the oil before adding olives)
— 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
— 1 orange citrus (clementine, tangerine etc.) flesh torn into pieces or cut into small supremes and 2-3 strips of 2” zest
— Flaky salt, for serving
CLUES
1. Place olive oil and bay leaves in a small pot over low heat. Once warm, remove olive oil from heat and stir in fennel, rosemary, zest strips, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss gently to coat, then let cool off heat.
2. Once cool, add olives and pour mixture into a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks. Shake every few days to redistribute the good stuff.
Before serving: Remove olives from refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. Stir in fresh citrus chunks and garnish with flaky salt.