There will always be a special place in our hearts for the bland, juicy, black “California ripe” olives we grew up with. But now that even our neighborhood grocery olive bar offers an embarrassment of riches we have branched out, discovering olives with an amazing variety of colors, flavors and textures. Jet black, wrinkly and glistening, oil cured olives are one of our favorite snacks: wine-friendly, complex and perfect with tart, sweet and rich foods alike.
Most of the world’s olives grow in the Mediterranean regions, where for thousands of years olives have been harvested and cured or pressed into oil. Since olives contain a bitter alkaloid compound, they must be cured to make them edible; the curing can be done with water, brine or salt, and it neutralizes the bitter flavor and changes the texture of the olives. “Oil cured” olives are actually cured first with salt, which dries the olives by extracting moisture and with it, bitterness. Once the olives are cured, they are packed in a bit of oil, and sometimes with herbs and spices. The result is intense, rich and complex olive flavor with a pleasing hint of bitterness that goes well with citrus and dried fruits, tomatoes and other sweet/tart foods.
We love oil cured olives on a summer pizza with garden tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and spicy salame, or in a crisp green salad with fennel, blood oranges and a crumble of ricotta salata. Serve a bowl of oil cured olives and some toasted almonds with a glass of rosé for the perfect summer appetizer. Since it is hard to find pitted oil-cured olives, try this trick for pitting: Place the olive on a cutting board and lay the blade of a chef’s knife on it; whack the knife gently to split the olive—the pit should release easily. You can also use the bottom of a ramekin or custard cup to whack the olive. Any way you pit them, oil cured olives are a delicious addition to your pantry.
Buy oil cured olives at:
http://www.arthuravenue.com/
http://www.cybercucina.com/
http://www.dibruno.com/