Black Olives With Red Pepper Harissa

These olives are addictive! They are good all alone, served with other appetizer-type foods and other dishes. Crusty bread dipped into the sauce and eaten with a good hearty soup is wonderful! I love using fresh bell peppers and hot Cherry Bomber chiles from my garden in this. The original recipe was found in the August '94 issue of Gourmet. I have improvised on olives, due to what is not available in my area; as well as some adjustments to technique, thanks to Charishma on toasting spices. Cook time is chilling, marinating time.

• Ready In: 6 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 2 (15 ounce) cans  pitted large black olives or 2 (15 ounce) cans  pitted  jumbo black olives or 1  lb  moroccan oil-cured black olive, if available

• Red Pepper Harissa

• 1  teaspoon cumin seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  coriander seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 2  dried hot red chilies or 2  fresh hot red chili peppers, stemmed,minced,seeded if desired (about 2 inches in length)
• 3  cloves garlic, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1  large red bell pepper, roasted,peeled,coarsely chopped
• 1  tablespoon olive oil, adjustable for desired consistency

Directions

1. Drain olives, rinse under running water, place in large bowl and cover with fresh water; soak 15 minutes for canned, 4 hours for oil-cured, to remove excess salt; drain, rinse again; drain well.
2. Toast cumin, coriander and caraway seeds in a hot, dry skillet to release flavor and fragrance, being careful not to scorch or burn them. Cool.
3. Grind the toasted seeds fine; if using a spice grinder or coffee grinder dedicated to such purposes, add dried chiles here and continue to grind.
4. If using electric appliances, transfer finely ground spices/dried chiles to a food processor or blender here; if using a mortar & pestle, continue with it.
5. To ground spices, add garlic, salt, and fresh chiles, if using them; grind to a paste.
6. Add red bell pepper and olive oil and pound or puree to a paste (your preference here, I like it rather fine); adding more oil, drop by drop, if desired for consistency.
7. Taste and add a touch more salt, if necessary.
8. In a large, nonreactive or non-stainable bowl, stir together olives and harissa; cover, chill and marinate at least 6 hours and up to a week before serving.
9. For best flavor, bring olives in harissa to room temperature before serving.
10. I have kept them up to 4 weeks (if they last that long!),well covered and chilled; with a layer of olive oil floated on top.