Cypriot Elies Tsakistes (Ελιές Τσακιστές)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •clean flat stone or wooden mallet
• •large glass jar, 2 litre capacity
• •small plate or fermentation weight

Instructions

1. 1

   Sort olives

   Choose firm green olives with tight skins, no bruising, and no soft spots. Rinse them well. This is not a recipe for ripe black olives; they cure differently and will not give you the crisp bite of tsakistes.

2. 2

   Crack olives

   Set each olive on a board and strike it once with a clean stone, mallet, or the flat side of a heavy knife, just hard enough to split the flesh without crushing the pit. Tsakistes means cracked, and this is the step that decides the dish. The split lets the raw bitterness leave in water and later lets lemon, garlic, and coriander enter.

3. 3

   Soak daily

   Put the cracked olives in a large non-reactive bowl or jar and cover with 2 litres cold water. Weigh them down with a small plate so they stay submerged. Change the water every day for 7 days, tasting one olive on the seventh day; it should still be pleasantly bitter, not raw and harsh.

4. 4

   Make brine

   Dissolve 80g fine sea salt in 1 litre water. Stir until clear. Pack the drained olives into clean jars with the lemon slices, crushed garlic, cracked coriander seeds, and oregano, then pour over enough brine to cover completely.

5. 5

   Seal with oil

   Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface of each jar. Close the jars and refrigerate. The olives are ready after 2 days in the brine, sharper and better after 5.

6. 6

   Dress to serve

   Lift out what you need with a clean spoon. Toss with a little of the brine, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and extra olive oil if the olives look dry. Serve cool or at room temperature, never straight from an icy fridge, because cold dulls good oil.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh green olives in season, usually early autumn. Jarred olives have already been cured, so cracking them now only makes a sad, salty imitation.
• •Keep the olives submerged at every stage. Air on the surface invites spoilage, and a thin cap of olive oil over the brine helps protect the jar once it goes into the refrigerator.
• •Serve them with lentils, fasolada, grilled bread, or a plain Lenten table. They are naturally nistisima, and they make a budget meal feel cared for.

Advance Preparation

• •Start the olives at least 9 days before serving: 7 days in fresh water, then 2 days in brine.
• •Once brined, keep refrigerated and use within 4 weeks, always taking olives from the jar with a clean spoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)