Best Herbed Olives Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, GREEN OLIVES, AND HERBED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Spread the flour in a large shallow plate. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour to coat all sides, tapping off the excess. Put a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot over high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add 5 pieces of chicken and brown them for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, without moving them around too much so you get a good sear. Transfer the chicken to a platter and repeat with the remaining thighs.
• To the drippings in the pot, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften and begin to get some color. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, the cinnamon, apricots, olives, and stock. Nestle the chicken in the pot so the thighs are covered with apricots, olives, and stock. Pour any drippings collected from the platter into the pot. Bring the stew to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour, or until your kitchen smells amazing.
• Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon salt in a small pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous, and quickly cover to keep in the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes, until the couscous is soft.
• Combine the scallions, cilantro, and mint in a small bowl.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and gently stir in the butter until completely melted.
• To serve, put the couscous in a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Fold in half of the scallion mixture. Sprinkle the remaining scallion mixture over the braised chicken, and serve it right out of the pot.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, GREEN OLIVES, AND HERBED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• 1 Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Spread the flour in a large shallow plate. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour to coat all sides, tapping off the excess. Put a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot over high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add 5 pieces of chicken and brown them for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, without moving them around too much so you get a good sear. Transfer the chicken to a platter and repeat with the remaining thighs.
• To the drippings in the pot, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften and begin to get some color. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, the cinnamon, apricots, olives, and stock. Nestle the chicken in the pot so the thighs are covered with apricots, olives, and stock. Pour any drippings collected from the platter into the pot. Bring the stew to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour, or until your kitchen smells amazing.
• Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon salt in a small pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous, and quickly cover to keep in the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes, until the couscous is soft.
• Combine the scallions, cilantro, and mint in a small bowl. Remove the chicken from the oven and gently stir in the butter until completely melted.
• To serve, put the couscous in a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Fold in half of the scallion mixture. Sprinkle the remaining scallion mixture over the braised chicken, and serve it right out of the pot.

MOROCCAN HERBED OLIVES

Steps:

• Rinse olives under cold running water; drain.
• Place in 1-quart jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Mix remaining ingredients; pour over olives.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate, turning jar upside down occasionally, 1 to 2 weeks.
• Serve at room temperature.
• These keep well if tightly covered and refrigerated.

BAKED HERBED EGGPLANT WITH CAPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Soak capers in cold water for 1 hour before using, changing water 2 or 3 times. Drain, rinse and squeeze dry. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack placed in upper third of oven. Make a series of deep crosshatches in the cut sides of eggplants, but don't cut through the skin. Coat cut surfaces liberally with extra-virgin olive oil. In large saute pan or skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat until shimmering. Fry eggplants, cut side down, until golden on the bottom, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn them over and fry for about 2 minutes on the skin side. They will look slightly softened. Using a slotted metal spatula, transfer to a baking sheet, cut sides up, and let cool. In a medium bowl, combine olives, capers, mint, basil and garlic, and mash lightly with a fork to make a coarse paste. Stir in salt and pepper. Add grated cheese and mix well. Press mixture into cuts in each eggplant and drizzle with a little more oil. Bake eggplants about 25 minutes or until eggplant is soft and topping is gilded here and there. Be careful not to burn them. The tops should be bubbling and look moist and tempting. The eggplants can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Note: Pantelleria is a tiny island off Sicily and is famous for its capers. You also can use bottled vinegar-packed capers, but be sure to rinse them well many times to get rid of the vinegar and let caper taste come out.

HERBED KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• In a dry small heavy skillet toast seeds over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant, about 1 minute, and cool. With a mortar and pestle or with bottom of a heavy skillet coarsely crush seeds. Drain olives and thinly slice lemon. With flat side of a large knife lightly bruise thyme and in a bowl stir together all ingredients. Marinate olives, covered and chilled, at least 3 days and up to 1 week. Bring olives to room temperature, about 15 minutes, before serving.

HERBED OLIVES

Steps:

• In a bowl stir together the olives, the herbs, the lemon juice, the zest, and the oil and let the olives marinate, covered and chilled, for 3 days. The marinated olives may be made 2 weeks in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the olives at room temperature.