Olive Puree Recipes

OLIVE PUREE

Steps:

• Purée everything together using a blender or hand mixer.
• Serve along with some bread (I like to toast slices of French baguettes) or crackers.

HERBED OLIVE PUREE

Steps:

• Puree the olives, onion, garlic, mint leaves, oil, fennel seeds, cumin, and coriander in a food processor until smooth.
• Place the puree in a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for at least 6 hours.
• Before serving, stir well, top with the minced herbs, and place on a plate with the warm pita bread sections.

OLIVE TAPENADE

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the green and black olives, anchovy if using, oregano, garlic and lemon juice and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until everything is a coarse paste. Drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing until combined.
• Serve with crackers or toast.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH OLIVE PURéE

Steps:

• Puree olives with 2 tablespoons olive oil in processor. Gently slide hand under skin of chicken breasts to loosen, forming pocket and keeping skin attached. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons olive puree under skin of each chicken breast. Fasten skin with toothpicks to hold olive filling in place. Brush chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with minced rosemary. Place chicken breasts in shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until golden and cooked through, turning frequently and brushing chicken with more olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking, about 20 minutes.

BLACK OLIVE SPREAD

Steps:

• Place olives, Parmesan cheese, and garlic (if using) in a food processor. Add olive oil slowly while running. Process until smooth.

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND OLIVE PUREE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Put half the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and, when it sizzles, the tomatoes, along with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up and the mixture becomes saucy, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pit the olives: press on them with the broad side of a knife to break them, then remove the pit. Combine them in a small food processor with the anchovies and the remaining olive oil. Pulse the machine until you have a fairly smooth paste. Stir this paste into the tomato sauce and keep warm, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Serve with the sauce, garnished with the parsley.

GARLIC PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together canola and olive oil; set aside.
• Place garlic cloves in an ovenproof heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch-oven with a lid. Add bay leaf, a scant tablespoon salt, and peppercorns. Add enough of the oil mixture to barely cover.
• Cover pan and transfer to oven. Cook until garlic is pale golden and very tender, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic cloves to a cutting board or the bowl of a small food processor, reserving oil; finely chop or process until pureed. Transfer to a bowl and add just enough reserved oil to cover. Keep refrigerated, up to 3 days.