Roasted Black Olives And Pearl Onions

Total Time: 9 hrs Preparation Time: 8 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb well-drained pitted oil-cured olives (kalamatas or gaetas, etc)
• 1/2 lb tiny pearl onion (1/2", wide, or as small as possible)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons orange zest, in fine threads or julienne slivers
• 1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 -2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 300°.
• 2 spread the olives on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until they have shriveled a bit and are slightly crunchy, but not crisped or burned.
• 3 let them cool in the pan (they'll dry more and become a bit crunchier).
• 4 meanwhile, cut off the root end of each onion, but don't peel them.
• 5 in a small saucepan, heat 2 cups water and the vinegar to a boil and drop in all the onions, cook for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on their size, until they feel soft all the way through when you squeeze them, but not mushy.
• 6 drain and let them cool.
• 7 remove the skin (or pop the onion out of the skin by squeezing at the top).
• 8 if the onions are 3/4" or more, slice them open and flake them apart, separating the layers; tiny onions can be left whole.
• 9 toss the olives, onions, and orange zest in a bowl.
• 10 dress with the oil and juice to taste.
• 11 marinate briefly or overnight, refrigerated, if you want.
• 12 serve at room temperature in a shallow bowl with a serving spoon.