If You've Never Tried Olives This Way, You're Missing Out

One of the most delicious snacks in the world is warmed olives. That might come as a surprise, since olives are so often served straight from the fridge, mixed into salads or scooped into a bowl for eating. But if you take the extra steps to season and warm gently before serving, you will discover that it greatly elevates the olive-eating experience. There are several ways to warm olives, outlined below.

Stovetop

The easiest way to warm them is in a pot on the stove. In a recent Youtube "Home Movies" episode called Apero Hour, chef Alison Roman shows how she drains a jar of green olives, adds a generous amount of olive oil, seasons with fennel seeds and paprika, and sets over a low flame, stirring periodically.

As she explains, "They're not really cooked; they're warmed...Really, the flavour's in the oil on the outside. So it's almost like roasted peanuts or roasted sunflower seeds [where] the flavor is on the outside of the shell and you eat the whole thing to experience it."

Roman goes on to say that "a warm olive is very different from a cold olive; the flavors open up." This is not surprising, since cold food is always perceived as less flavorful than warm. She’s also a fan of Castelvetrano olives and thinks they’re the best for this.

Grilled

Another method for warming olives is to grill them on the barbecue. You can put them in a heatproof metal basket, a cast iron pan, or an aluminum foil packet over a bed of coals.

If they are pitted, you could also thread them onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers for a cute presentation. Add some seasonings like garlic, pepper, chile flakes, and herbs—but you can choose whatever appeals to you.

Roasted

Last but not least, try roasting olives on a foil-lined baking sheet. Olives are often added to other dishes for roasting (think Chicken Marbella), but they can also be roasted on their own.

Toss with olive oil and whatever aromatics you have, such as fennel, garlic, chile flakes, herbs, and citrus. Roast at 450 degrees F (232 degrees C) until sizzling, about 12-15 minutes. Serve warm. 

You can also do a low-and-slow roast in a small pan covered with foil. Bake at 300 degrees F (149 degrees C) for up to an hour, letting the olives soak up the flavors.

No matter how you cook them, warmed olives are sure to please a crowd. Serve with lots of crusty, chewy bread to mop up the surplus spiced oil.