This is a recipe of patience rather than effort. The ingredients are few, but they require time to become something greater than the sum of their parts.
We take the sharp, briny bite of pimiento-stuffed olives and temper it with the earthiness of ground coriander and the heat of raw garlic. Suspended in oil and red wine vinegar, the mixture needs to sit undisturbed in the dark of the refrigerator. Over those long hours, the sharp edges soften, and the flavors meld into a robust, tangy relish. It is traditionally served over a block of cold cream cheese, where the rich dairy provides the perfect cool counterpoint to the acidic, salty topping.
The Recipe
Yields: About 2 cups | Prep time: 10 minutes | Chill time: 8 hours
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) jar pimiento-stuffed olives
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- Cream cheese and crackers for serving
Instructions
1. Chop Drain the olives well. Chop them roughly into small, bite-sized pieces. You want a texture that is chunky but spreadable, not a smooth paste.
2. Combine Place the chopped olives into a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, pressed garlic, and ground coriander. Stir firmly to ensure the spices and liquids coat every piece of olive.
3. Marinate Cover the bowl tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours. Do not skip this step. The coriander needs time to bloom in the oil, and the vinegar needs time to penetrate the olives.
4. Serve Spoon the marinated mixture generously over a block of cream cheese or spread onto crackers. The leftover oil and vinegar at the bottom of the bowl is full of flavor, so be sure to drizzle it over the top.
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Marinated Olive & Coriander Relish
This simple olive relish requires only five ingredients but plenty of patience. Chopped pimiento olives are marinated in red wine vinegar, garlic, and coriander for 8 hours to create a zesty, savory topping for cream cheese and crackers.
Ingredients
Instructions
Chop
-
Drain the olives well. Chop them roughly into small, bite-sized pieces. You want a texture that is chunky but spreadable, not a smooth paste.
Combine
-
Place the chopped olives into a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, pressed garlic, and ground coriander. Stir firmly to ensure the spices and liquids coat every piece of olive.
Marinate
-
Cover the bowl tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours. Do not skip this step. The coriander needs time to bloom in the oil, and the vinegar needs time to penetrate the olives.
Serve
-
Spoon the marinated mixture generously over a block of cream cheese or spread onto crackers. The leftover oil and vinegar at the bottom of the bowl is full of flavor, so be sure to drizzle it over the top.
