Marinated Olives Recipe

Rinse and dry olives

If olives are packed in brine or oil, drain them and rinse briefly under cold water. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place the dried olives in a medium bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Prepare aromatics

Using a microplane or fine grater, zest 1 lemon to yield about 1 teaspoon zest. Juice the lemon to get 1 tablespoon of juice. Thinly slice the garlic clove. Finely chop the rosemary, strip thyme leaves from stems, and chop the parsley.

Combine marinade

Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the sliced garlic, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt to the bowl or jar with the olives. Stir or shake well to combine so all olives are coated in oil and aromatics.

Allow flavors to meld

Cover the bowl or seal the jar and let the olives marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour. For best flavor, refrigerate and marinate for 12–24 hours, turning or shaking the jar once or twice to redistribute the oil and aromatics. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving so the oil solidifies less and flavors are more pronounced.

Adjust seasoning

After marinating, taste one or two olives. If needed, adjust seasoning by adding up to 1/2 teaspoon more salt, a squeeze more lemon juice for brightness, or an extra 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes for heat. Stir or shake to incorporate any additions.

Serve

Transfer olives to a shallow serving bowl. Add the optional lemon slices around the bowl for presentation.

Right before serving, sprinkle the toasted sliced or slivered almonds over the olives for crunch and scatter the remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest for extra brightness. Garnish with an additional parsley leaf or two if desired.