BLACK OLIVE, ORANGE AND ONION SALAD (for six)
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42 (3-1/2 ounces) black oil-cured olives
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
pinches of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 4 (depending on size) sweet oranges
1 medium to large onion peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- On a wooden surface lined with a paper towel, tap each olive with a heavy pestle or mallet and slip out the pit, to make about ¾ cup. Toss the olives with the orange zest, a pinch (or more) of red pepper flakes and the olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let stand too room temperature for at least a few hours.
- Peel the oranges and remove all the outside membranes, using a small knife. Thinly slice the oranges. Arrange the oranges, overlapping, on a flat serving dish.
- Sprinkle the onion with slat and leave for a few minutes. Rub the salt into the onion; rinse, drain and press out all the water.
- Spread the onion rings over the oranges then the olives and the marinade; sprinkle with cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Serve at once.
from Paula Wolfert, The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean