Moroccan Chili Olives Recipes

CHILLI MARRAKECH

Steps:

• Heat your largest non-stick wok or pan, tip in the cumin seeds and toast for a few secs. Remove. Add the oil to the pan and fry the onions for 5 mins until starting to colour. Add the mince, ginger and garlic, and cook, breaking up the mince with your wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Drain any excess liquid or fat from the pan.
• Stir in the tomatoes, toasted cumin, remaining spices and harissa - add more spice if you like an extra kick. Add the peppers, chickpeas, three-quarters of the chopped coriander and the stock. Cover and cook for 40 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Cool, then stir in the remaining chopped coriander. Can be served or frozen at this point.
• Pack into freezer bags and smooth the mince through the bag to flatten. Use within 3 months. To serve, remove from the bags and heat from frozen in a pan on the hob with a little water until bubbling hot, then scatter with coriander.

MOROCCAN OLIVES WITH HARISSA RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak the olives in a bowl of water for a few hours or overnight; drain. (Or, if the olives are hard, soften them by soaking in boiling water for 15 minutes.) For better infusion of the marinade, make one or two small incisions in each olive (or gently crush them to crack the flesh of the olive).
• While the olives are soaking, make the harissa if it's not already prepared: Remove the seeds from the chile peppers then soak in hot water for a half hour or until tender enough to mash. Drain. Lightly toast the seeds in a skillet (just until fragrant) and grind them with a mortar and pestle. Add the softened chile peppers, garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil to the mortar and grind to a paste. Thin as desired with additional lemon juice and olive oil. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed.
• Seed the preserved lemon and cut it into thin strips.
• Combine the preserved lemon with the drained olives, parsley. lemon juice and as much harissa as desired.
• If you like, a little additional olive oil or garlic can be mixed in to the olives.
• Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours (overnight is best) before serving. The olives will keep in the fridge for several weeks. Leftover harissa may be stored in the fridge as well for use as a condiment with other foods.

MOROCCAN HERBED OLIVES

Steps:

• Rinse olives under cold running water; drain.
• Place in 1-quart jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Mix remaining ingredients; pour over olives.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate, turning jar upside down occasionally, 1 to 2 weeks.
• Serve at room temperature.
• These keep well if tightly covered and refrigerated.

MARINATED MOROCCAN OLIVES

Steps:

• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine olive oil, pepper flakes, garlic, coriander and cumin. Squeeze the lemon juice and add the lemon wedges, the olives, and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight. Leave out at room temperature for a few hours before serving.