Olives
Olives are the cured fruit of the olive tree, ranging from briny green to rich, oil-cured black, used whole, pitted, or chopped across Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.
How to buy
Buy from a well-stocked olive bar or a jar where you can see color and size; firm flesh and a clean brine smell are good signs, while mushy texture or an overly sulfurous smell are not. Common types -- Kalamata (dark purple, meaty), Castelvetrano (bright green, mild and buttery), Nicoise (small, dark, intense) -- suit different dishes, so match the variety to the use.
How to store
Keep olives submerged in their brine or oil in the refrigerator once opened; they'll keep for 1-2 weeks that way. Unopened jars packed in oil or brine can sit at cool room temperature, but once cracked open, refrigerate.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Briny and salty with fruity, sometimes bitter or peppery undertones that vary hugely by variety and curing method -- green olives tend sharper and more vegetal, black olives richer and more mellow.
- Texture
- Firm and meaty with a dense, slightly chewy flesh around the pit; overripe or poorly cured olives turn mushy and unpleasant.
- Aroma
- Briny and faintly fermented, with a fruity olive-oil note underneath the salt.
How to prepare
- Eaten whole or pitted — Served as a simple snack or appetizer alongside cheese and bread.
- Chopped into tapenade — Pounded with capers, anchovy, and olive oil into a spreadable paste.
- Braised with meats — Simmered into stews and tagines, where they release briny depth.
- Baked into breads — Folded whole or chopped into focaccia and other savory loaves.
Classic dishes
American
- Chicken Marbella — A braise of chicken with green olives, prunes, and capers popularized by American home cooking.
- Martini garnish — A brined green olive skewered as the classic finish to a gin or vodka martini.
Italian
- Olive focaccia — Flatbread studded with whole olives baked directly into the dough.
- Puttanesca — A bold pasta sauce built on olives, capers, anchovy, and tomato.
- Muffuletta sandwich — A New Orleans Italian-American sandwich piled with a chopped olive salad spread.
- Caponata — A sweet-and-sour Sicilian eggplant relish studded with green olives and capers.
- Pizza with olives — Sliced black olives scattered over pizza for a salty, briny bite.
- Antipasto platter — Cured meats and cheeses served alongside marinated olives.
French
- Tapenade — A pounded olive, caper, and anchovy spread served with bread.
- Nicoise salad — A composed salad of tuna, egg, and Nicoise olives dressed in vinaigrette.
- Pissaladiere — A Provencal onion tart topped with anchovies and black olives.
Mediterranean
- Braised olives with citrus — Olives warmed gently with orange zest, herbs, and olive oil as a mezze dish.
Greek
- Greek salad — Tomatoes, cucumber, and feta tossed with Kalamata olives and olive oil.
Spanish
- Marinated olives — Olives tossed with citrus, herbs, and oil as a tapas staple.
Middle Eastern
- Moroccan chicken tagine — Chicken braised with preserved lemon and green olives until tender.
- Tabbouleh with olives — A parsley and bulgur salad sometimes finished with chopped olives.