Flavour nugget #20: roasted crushed olive and caper super sauceDrizzle it, dip it, eat it with a spoon
Super Sauce? Surely it can’t be that good?! Reader: it can. As we all know I love BIG flavours, and this sauce is full of them. Wrinkly, heat-blasted olives, fragrant citrus oils, fresh shallots and herbs (crucially: mint), plus other bits and bobs. It’s a rocket ship of a recipe, bringing lip-smacking joy whether sloshed over roasted meats, fish or vegetables, stirred into dips, through pasta, over salads, or on tarts, toasts, and tidbits. I once visited the Greek island of Evia, where I was shown tranquil, sun-soaked olive groves full of gnarly, twisted trunks and drooping branches, heavy with fruit. When it rains, the trees turn from green to silver, revealing the underneath of their leaves to absorb the humidity. Among them, students teetered on wooden ladders, picking for the summer in return for accomodation and meals. Traditionally in Greece, fresh olives are fermented slowly for 6-8 months until they’re softened, bitterness is removed and they become plump and glossy. Of course, nowadays there are speedier methods; whichever you choose, a quality olive will be uniform in shape, unbruised and firm. Buying from a deli counter is a nice experience but they’ll last far longer in brine.
The great thing about nuggets like this is that they do the work for you. Using the sauce to dress one ingredient (e.g. yoghurt) gives you an irresistible dip, and I suggest that’s where you start because I finished the best part of the bowl myself (and it wasn’t small). Some other ways to use this versatile mega-sauce:
Roasted, Crushed Olive and Caper Super Sauce 1 x jar pitted kalamata olives, drained Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). Give everything a good mix and roast for 20 minutes, then add the capers, stir and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, set the garlic and citrus peels aside and carefully strain the oil into a bowl (you’ll use this for the dressing). Lightly crush the olives and capers using a fork and transfer them to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the bulb, mash it to a paste and add that to the bowl too. Add the finely chopped shallot, red wine vinegar, honey or maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Give everything a good mix then add the olive oil and mix again. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.
SUPERSIZE ME! This week it’s a carrot galette so good I ate HALF of it myself in one sitting. Crisp, golden, incredibly forgiving pastry, a creamy base and sweet carrots. it’s simple to make but as good as a centrepiece as it is a snack. She performs. Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Flavour nugget #20: roasted crushed olive and caper super sauce
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