Читать книгу A Girl and Her Pig - April Bloomfield - Страница 32

OLIVES WITH TOMATOES AND PRESERVED LEMON

I love thinking up new ways to serve Castelvetrano olives, rather than just plunking the bright-green, fleshy orbs on a plate. Like turning them into this colourful snack, where you get to experience their distinctive flavour in a refreshing tomato sauce with the zing of preserved lemon.

serves 4

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

½ small preserved lemon, pith and flesh discarded, rind thinly sliced

Small pinch of saffron threads

One 400g tin peeled whole tomatoes, drained, trimmed, and puréed

1 large Dutch or other spicy long red chilli

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground (see Spices, here)

225g drained Castelvetrano olives

Small pinch of Maldon or another flaky sea salt

Heat the oil in a small pot that has a lid over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until light golden brown and toasty, about 1 minute. Add the preserved lemon rind and saffron and stir well, then add the tomatoes, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes or so, to let the flavours meld.

Meanwhile, turn a gas burner to medium-high and use tongs to roast the chilli directly over the burner, turning often, until it’s blistered all over with just a few black spots, about 2 minutes. Scrape off the skin with a knife, then cut off the stem, scrape out and discard the seeds, and roughly chop the chilli.

Add the chilli, cumin, olives, and salt to the pot (leave it uncovered), adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the tomato starts clinging to the olives, about 10 minutes. Scrape it all into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Serve, or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature, and stir well before serving.