Marinated Olives Recipe

Rinse and dry olives

If olives are packed in brine, drain and rinse them under cool water for 10–15 seconds to remove excess salt. Pat completely dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

Place the dried olives in a medium mixing bowl. Add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, coarse sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir gently to coat the olives evenly.

Prepare roasted peppers

If using jarred roasted peppers, drain a little of their packing liquid and slice into 1/4-inch ribbons. If roasting your own, char whole red peppers over a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened, place in a covered bowl to steam 10 minutes, peel, remove seeds, and slice.

Slice oil-packed sundried tomatoes into thin strips. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Add the roasted pepper ribbons, sundried tomato slices, and sliced garlic to the bowl with the olives and fold gently to combine.

Bruise the rosemary sprigs lightly by bending them or smashing the stems with the flat side of a knife to release aromatics. Add rosemary and thyme sprigs to the olive mixture along with red pepper flakes for a gentle heat. Stir to distribute herbs through the olives.

Add the white wine vinegar and optional orange zest to brighten the marinade. Taste and adjust seasoning: add up to 1/4 tsp more salt or 1/2 tsp more lemon juice if desired.

Transfer the olives and all marinade into a clean jar or airtight container. Pour any remaining oil from the bowl over the top so the olives are mostly submerged. Seal and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (preferably 24–48 hours) to allow flavors to meld. Remove rosemary and thyme stems before serving, or leave them in for presentation and remove by diner preference.

Bring the marinated olives to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before serving. Serve in a shallow dish with some of the marinade spooned over the top.