Warm Citrus-and-Herb Marinated Olives with Toasted Walnuts

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Good olives gently warmed in olive oil with strips of orange and lemon zest, smashed garlic, rosemary and thyme until the whole bowl smells like a Mediterranean bar snack. Plated with crisp pickles and toasted walnuts, it's a five-minute mezze that tastes like the $9 olive dish you keep ordering — and it costs about that much to make four times over.

Ingredients

• 2 cup mixed good olives, such as Castelvetrano, Kalamata and Cerignola (about 12 oz drained)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 orange, zest peeled in wide strips
• 1 lemon, zest peeled in wide strips plus 2 teaspoons juice
• 3 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf

• 3/4 cup walnut halves
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt
• 1 cup crisp pickles, such as cornichons, pickled peppers or half-sour spears
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• warm crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Drain the olives in a colander and rinse briefly under cool water to wash off brine, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Dry olives absorb the marinade instead of watering it down.
2. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often, for 4 to 5 minutes until they smell nutty and are lightly browned. Tip onto a plate, sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, and set aside to cool and crisp.
3. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 3 or 4 wide strips of zest from the orange and 3 or 4 from the lemon, taking as little white pith as possible. Squeeze 2 teaspoons of juice from the lemon and reserve.
4. Combine the olive oil, citrus zest strips, smashed garlic, rosemary, thyme, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and bay leaf in a small saucepan or 8-inch skillet. Set over medium-low heat and warm for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the oil shimmers faintly and the garlic sizzles at the edges — never let it bubble hard or the garlic will turn bitter.
5. Add the dried olives, stir to coat, and warm for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice. The olives should be hot to the touch and glossy, and the kitchen should smell strongly of citrus and rosemary. Keep the heat low enough that the oil stays at a lazy simmer around the edges only.
6. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and let stand 5 minutes so the flavors settle. Taste an olive; add another pinch of red pepper flakes if you want more heat. Do not salt — the olives bring plenty.
7. Spoon the warm olives and a few of the aromatics into a shallow serving bowl, drizzling over some of the fragrant oil. Scatter the toasted walnuts and parsley over the top, and pile the pickles alongside. Serve immediately with warm bread for mopping the oil, and put out a small dish for pits.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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