Marinated Olives

Warm olives take on a whole new dimension. Not only are they juicier and more flavourful, serving them warm seems to carry an element of luxury not present if they’re cold.

Feeds 4 – 6 as a nibble

Ingredients

1 orange or clementine

1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small jar or pot of good quality olives (with stones in), drained

Method:

Use a vegetable peeler to create two long strips each of orange and lemon peel. Use the back of a knife to crush the garlic cloves, leaving them whole and unpeeled.

To a cold saucepan, add the strips of zest, crushed garlic, bay leaves and olive oil. Turn the heat on to medium and let it sizzle for a few minutes, until fragrant. Tumble in the olives and stir, cooking for a further few minutes until the olives are warm to the touch. Transfer the whole lot to a shallow bowl and serve.