Here’s an enticing Moorish-inspired dish that I tasted in Alicante. It’s a great, simple way to jazz up a bowl of olives. In Seville, a similar marinade would be made with the juice from bitter oranges—try it both ways. The longer the olives marinate, the tastier they get, so start ahead.
Ingredients
- 2 cups mixed cracked green olives
- 6 small garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
- 2 tablespoons grated tangerine zest
- ½ cup fresh tangerine juice
- 4 thin lemon slices, cut in half and seeded
- 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar, preferably aged
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small bay leaves
- ½ small dried chile, such as arbol, crumbled, or more to taste
- 1 medium-size pinch of ground cumin
How to Make It
- Place the olives, garlic, tangerine zest and juice, lemon, vinegar, olive oil, bay leaves, chile, and cumin in a large glass jar or bowl and stir to mix well. Cover the jar and let the olives marinate overnight at room temperature, tossing occasionally.
- For a richer flavor, let the olives marinate for up to a week in the refrigerator.
