Warm Olives with Fennel and Preserved Lemon
Ingredients
Salt
1 medium fennel bulb, cut into eighths
3/4 cup (6 fl oz/185ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, coarsely cracked
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 ounces (120g) Niçoise olives
4 ounces (120g) green Picholine olives
4 ounces (60g) Kalamata black olives
4 ounces Castelvetrano olives
1 whole preserved lemon rind, diced
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh fennel and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain.
Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the fresh fennel, fennel seed, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until they begin to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add the olives and preserved lemon rind and warm gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 6 hours.
Ten minutes before serving, warm the olives again. To serve, place the olives and fennel on a small platter. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the oil and serve immediately.
