Pizza Today - June 2018 - 35

KALAMATA

PUT THESE FLAVORFUL FRUITS
TO WORK IN YOUR KITCHEN
By John Gutenkanst Photos/illustration Rick Daugherty

CASTELVETRA N O

T

he marriage between olives and modern
Americans is complicated. Olives are
either loved or hated. (Some of my staff
can't even get past the word "olive" by
saying immediately: "I don't DO those.")
Olives (and anchovies) are the toppings that
people feel either disgust for or fantasize
about. But because of a small but passionate
following for these toppings, almost every
pizzeria in this nation has olives as an option.

OLIVES HAVE BEEN CULTIVATED by humans as

ARBEQUIN O

CERIGNOL A

early as 6,000 years ago. The ancient Syrians
and Palestinians are credited for ramping up
production in the Mediterranean and the
trees of these little orbs virtually changed the
landscape of Greece. By 52 B.C., Italy had
many plantations of excellent olive groves,
although many thought the Spanish olives
of Andalusia and Grenada were more sweet
and delicate in flavor. Most Romans enjoyed
a breakfast (jentaculum) consisting only
of bread and olives or raisins, but the poor
Romans living in the tall insulae (tenements)
usually were sustained with raw beans, figs
and olives bought from grimy street stalls.
CURING OLIVES PRODUCES A GIANT FLAVOR

NICOISE

GAETA

and easy storage, which is why people have
eaten them for centuries on the go. The
Romans, according to Cato, treated 25
pounds of olives with quick lime, oak ashes
and water and were left to soak for
10 hours in lye. After this, they were washed
and immersed with fresh water, then a hot
water bath salted enough to float an egg
with fennel fronds. This was the brine after
cooling. Today's "ripe" olives are a far cry
from the artisanal olives enjoyed da tavola
(or at the family tables) in Italy and Spain,
but the variety and tastes offered in today's
market is tremendous. Here are a few easily
attainable by any restaurant owner:

 Kalamata. These black, salty Greek
beauties can now be found pitted and sliced
by most food purveyors. These are a "must"
on feta and Greek salads and stand up well
with high-temperature baking. These are great
with basil, chilies, artichokes, oregano, garlic,
mushrooms, cucumbers, cumin and even miso.
 Castelvetrano. These immature olives
from southern Italy are mild and buttery with
a brightness of green apple. Shockingly green
on a pizza. Beware, these are popular and have
many fakes. (check provenence.) I've seen
many chefs win pizza competitions with these
on top of bright red spicy charcuterie as a
finishing touch to Sicilian pizzas.

 Arbequino. These are very small,
purple when ripe and nutty. Used mostly in
extra virgin oils, the nutty flavor is worth the
pain of pitting these.

 Cerignola. Large, firm flesh but pit
tends to stick to flesh at the ends. Great look
just pitted and crushed on a pizza. These are
great for mixing with a tapenade or with
ricotta. (See recipe.)
 Nicoise. Another small black and
deep tasting olive is the highlight of a Nicoise
salad and tapenade. Sour and nutty so it's
perfect with potatoes, rosemary, romaine,
thyme and citrus like orange and even
romaine lettuce.
 Gaeta. Tasting much like the
Kalamata with a less salty, more meaty, earthy
flavor. This is great table olive with lemon
zest, oregano, rosemary and/or anchovy with
extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.
 Manzilla. These green, meaty olives are
nutty and almost smoky with a firm and rich
flesh. Usually stuffed with pimento (although
a lot of companies "fake" the pimento for
red gelatin). These are perfect stuffed with
anchovy, garlic or almonds and fried.

MANZIL L A
J U N E 2 0 1 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 3 5
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Pizza Today - June 2018

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