Fancy Olives

Recipe.

When you are having a cocktail party, it is VERY tempting to go crazy making a ton of appetizers. But think about your favorite bars and lounges. They usually have containers of spiced nuts and other little nibbles at the bar. That's it. So why are we working so hard?

One of my favorite nibbles when having a cocktail is olives. You can buy some really nice assortments at Whole Foods. But if you want to take just a teeny tiny bit of effort and marinate them to create something very unique, I have a recipe for you.



Citrus Marinated Olives
From the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen

Ingredients
2 cups mixed oil-packed olives
1/2 orange, quartered into wedges and thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
1 small red chile, halved lengthwise

Preparation
Place the mixed oil-packed olives in a bowl with the orange. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, crushed coriander seeds, bay leaves, and the red chile. Cook until fragrant and garlic begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let steep for 1 hour. Pour oil mixture over olives and stir to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, or cover and chill up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.