Marinated Olives Recipe
olive oil marinated mahon cheese. valencia almonds
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Frequently paired with
The best thing to pair and share with MARINATED OLIVES
Ingredients
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Marinated Olives
Mahon Cheese & Almonds
Method
Marinated Olives
Prep olives
Rinse the olives briefly under cold water and drain well. If olives are very large, cut a couple of small slits to let the marinade penetrate. Place the drained olives in a medium bowl or a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Warm oil and aromatics
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil until it is fragrant but not hot (about 2 minutes). Add the smashed garlic cloves and cook gently for 30 seconds to release aroma; remove from heat. Stir in the lemon and orange zest, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, chile flakes, peppercorns and sea salt.
Combine and marinate
Pour the warm oil and aromatics over the olives. Stir or shake gently to coat the olives evenly. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to infuse. Bring to room temperature before serving (about 30 minutes out of fridge).
Serving finish
Before serving, discard the rosemary and thyme stems and remove garlic if you prefer. Transfer olives to a serving bowl and spoon some of the flavored oil over them.
Mahon Cheese & Almonds
Toast almonds (if not already toasted)
Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Add Valencia almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. If they are already toasted, skip this step.
Dress cheese
Place the Mahon cheese cubes in a small bowl. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over the cheese and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and, if using, a light dusting of smoked paprika for a hint of smokiness.
Assemble tapas
Arrange marinated olives in a shallow bowl alongside the dressed Mahon cheese cubes and the toasted Valencia almonds on a serving board or platter. Spoon a little of the reserved olive oil from the olive marinade over the cheese and almonds for extra flavor.
Serve
Serve at room temperature as part of a tapas selection. Provide small forks or toothpicks for picking the cheese and olives. Leftover marinated olives can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; bring back to room temperature before serving.