Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be trying our hand at making cracked green olives. These are raw, uncured olives, right from the tree (no, not from Michigan) which in their current state are inedible. They are extremely bitter and soapy tasting. We cracked them open a bit with the end of a rolling pin and have them soaking in water to leach out the bitter phenols and soften the fruit. The water gets changed twice a day and in a week or so we start tasting, stopping the process when the olives have a pleasant bit of bitterness left, then they'll get moved to a salt brine with whatever flavors we choose. Right now we're thinking garlic, rosemary, preserved lemon, dried chili...
Going through the labor of making your own olives has several rewards. One, you start to understand them better by being hands on, getting to know what makes them what they are. This can help you judge the quality of other olives, speak more intelligently about them, and inform how you would serve or cook them. It also gives you complete control over their flavor profile and connects you to the history and tradition of a food that was at one time always hand made.
Look for these to make a brief appearance on Reserve's menu in about a month.
Hello all!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog thus far; Ms. Jacqueline Carey was good enough to link you and I'm really enjoying it.
Off-topic question, if any of you have the time... The mention of preserved lemon peaked my interest. I read a lemon-preserving method on another blog but no where does he mention what he's doing with the results. Being that I love long-term cooking "projects," as I think of them, any suggestions as to where else these babies might go? Any excuse will do... ;)
Hi Aredendra,
ReplyDeletePreserved lemons are a very versatile ingredient. More commonly used in areas like Africa and Morocco, preserved lemons can be used nearly anywhere an unpreserved lemon or even lemon juice is called for.
Typically the rinsed rind is the most useful part, but the flesh can have its place when called for or to your preference. For me, I find using it with lamb dishes a sure bet. The method produces a very bright and fresh flavor while cutting some of the sharpness. Make a lot! Stored in the brine, they can last many, many months. A fun thing you could try while learning how to use them is to explore the cuisines of regions that use them most. You get to learn more about the ingredient and also some additional food culture/recipes/techniques you may not have known of. This is how I encountered chorizo verde; a posting that will appear soon. One point of advice I'll offer: don't freeze them. Sometimes you see this being suggested because it accelerates the process, but it really only poorly imitates it. In a super-saturated salt brine it can take up to a month for them to really shine. Good luck with your future preserved lemon experiments!
Thanks for the tips! I'm actually already a Middle Eastern fiend so this may not be much of a (southwestern) stretch ;)
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