A little fennel and lemon elevate mixed olives and make the perfect finger food for cocktails parties. (Neal Santos)
Every party is happier with little bowls of these peppy mixed olives. Zingy lemon, crushed red pepper and herb-y fennel — marinated with the olives for as little as 15 minutes — will elevate an otherwise simple olive tray, says spirits writer and author André Darlington. The recipe is featured in Darlington’s new cookbook, “BAR MENU: 100+ Drinking Food Recipes for Cocktail Hour at Home (Running Press, $28).
For an elegant look, he suggests using a channel knife to cut lemon peels and then cut the resulting spiral into inch-long pieces. Darlington suggests serving the olives with a spritz or negroni, but you can also pair them with a Honey and Ginger Daiquiri. Add some Italian Riviera Meatballs and a simple Cacio e Pepe Frittata, and you’ve got a holiday party meal.
Citrus and Fennel Olives
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup mixed olives
½ fennel bulb, sliced thinly
Peel of 1 lemon, cut into 1-inch-long strips
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
In a medium-size bowl, toss all ingredients to combine. Let rest at room temperature for at least
15 minutes before serving. Olives and fennel will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
— From Andre Darlington’s “BAR MENU: 100+ Drinking Food Recipes for Cocktail Hour at Home (Running Press, $28)
Originally published at Jessica Yadegaran