Olive Cobbler

I am an olive freak (hence my name) so when I saw this on Dinner with a Band (Sam Mason's cooking show), I knew I had to try it. It's supposed to taste like cherries, but I imagine it has a bit of a sweet-salty zing to it.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• CANDIED OLIVES

• 6  cups kalamata olives, pitted
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  cups water
• 2  cups  preferably  ruby port
• 1  vanilla bean
• 1  orange, zest of

• STREUSEL TOPPING

• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4  tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4  tablespoons butter, barely softened

• COBBLER

• 2  tablespoons kirsch
• 1  cup sugar
• 4  teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, immerse olives for a few seconds to remove oily residue, and strain. Repeat process if olives are still oily.
2. Heat sugar in a large saucepan. When it begins to melt and turn yellow, very quickly completely whisk in 2 cups cold water.
3. Then add the wine, vanilla bean, zest and olives and let simmer about 30 minutes or until reduced by about half.
4. Strain olives and reserve poaching liquid.
5. Meanwhile mix flour, sugar and cinnamon. Blend butter into the flour mixture with the tips of your fingers; you want most of the streusel mix to be pea-size lumps.
6. In medium-size baking dish (like a 9- by 12-inch pan), mix olives with Kirsch, sugar and cornstarch. Add about 1 cup of reserved poaching liquid and mix.
7. Top with streusel and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until top is well-browned.