Ina Garten’s Warm Marinated Olives

This one’s a keeper, for sure. A few extra ingredients along with a short tour of duty on the stove turn plain old olives into something special. You now have Ina Garten’s Warm Marinated Olives. The transformation is impressive. And quick.

The recipe comes from Ina Garten’s popular book, Cook Like A Pro. Be sure to use high-quality olives here …the ones with pits rather than the canned pitted type. It’s all about the flavor and retaining the texture of the olives.

Here’s all that you’ll need to make Ina Garten’s Warm Marinated Olives…

• Large green olives with pits – Cerignola olives are recommended for their meaty texture, often described as having a crisp bite. They have a mild, buttery, and slightly sweet flavor, with a clean taste and no bitterness.
• Large dark olives with pits –  Kalamata olives work well here. They are a variety of dark purple, almond-shaped olives, prized for their rich, fruity flavor and meaty texture. They hold up well during the warming process. 
• Orange zest – Use your vegetable peeler to cut into large strips. Avoid including the white pith, which tends to be bitter.
• Garlic – Peeled & lightly smashed.
• Whole fennel seeds – They offer a distinctive anise-like flavor, described as sweet and warming with a subtle licorice note.
• Fresh thyme leaves – Chopped. Fresh thyme is recommended over the dried variety. It adds a distinctive, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor with hints of sweetness and a subtle, floral aroma. You’ll also use whole sprigs to add to the mix.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Also known as Peperoncino flakes, crushed red pepper flakes are optional but recommended. Just a pinch can add heat and flavor to the final dish.
• Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt. 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil – Use your best quality here. My first choice is always single source EVOO from Italy. Less processing = healthier more delicious olive oil.

Ideally, choosing olives with the pits is recommended here so that the texture of the olive isn’t altered by the heating process.

That being said …when serving these gems at a gathering with young children, I usually choose to use the pitted variety. They are still delicious with minimal change in texture. And no concern over the little ones being careless with the pits.

As usual, fresh is best…

Don’t be tempted to substitute dried herbs.

There are so few ingredients in this dish that each one shines through …the flavor of the fresh thyme leaves is an important element. 

• Drain the green and black olives from the brine or oil that they’re packed in and place them in a medium bowl.
• Add the orange zest, garlic, fennel seeds, thyme leaves, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.
• Pour the olive oil over the mixture, add the thyme sprigs and toss to combine.
  
• Transfer the mixture, including the olive oil, to a medium (10-inch) sauté pan.

• Heat over medium heat until the oil begins to sizzle.
• Lower the heat and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the olives and garlic are heated through and fragrant.
• Serve warm right from the pan or transfer to a serving dish.
• Offer a small dish on the side for the pits.

What I’ve presented to you here is what Ina has suggested. Combining all ingredients in a bowl, then transferring the mixture to a skillet to then sauté on the stove.

If you want to save time (and clean up) you can skip that step and mix it all up in your skillet. Your choice.

After just five-minutes – yes that was five-minutes – these beauties are ready to enjoy. Just enough time for the olives to heat through and the garlic, thyme and orange zest to become fragrant. Serve them warm for the best flavor.

They can be prepared ahead of time, then quickly reheated on the stovetop.

Ina Garten’s Warm Marinated Olives are especially delicious when offered along with your favorite assortment of cheeses.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality.

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