Olives In Desserts

[cbarre02]

I have recently been entertaining the idea of fermented black beans in desserts, and along the way have considered olives as a possible (sweet) pastry ingredient.

I was wondering if any one has had any success incorporating them into their desserts... Also has any one ever ground dry shitakes... they smell just like 70% dark chocolate, very interesting.

[nightscotsman]

Here's a recipe for Twice Baked Olive Cookie with Lemon Custard that I've been wanting to try for a long time. It's from Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.

[Gifted Gourmet]

At a new restaurant here in Atlanta, we had a tasting menu one evening and the finale was a black olive ice cream with a parsnip cake ... the group who was with me was fairly evenly divided on the taste of the ice cream ... either they loved the unique flavor or really hated it ... I had never seen this before ...

[mags]

In Chinese convenience stores, with the rest of the snack-foods, you can get olives that have been "brined" with honey and ginger or anise, rather than with salt and vinegar. They're delicious. I don't know if they're available in the States, though.

[tan319]

Albert Adria has done a black olive caramel with a white chocolate granizado and mango puree.

His brother has done a cepe crocant as part of an appetizer also so I would think shitakes would work too.

I also have seen a mushroom mousse cake in a Spanish pastry book I have called 'S-21', a collection of recipes by a whos who of Spanish pastry chefs.

Sam Mason and Grant Achatz have worked with white chocolate and olives too, I believe.

[Tracy K.]

Kalamata olives and orange sections make a nice salad--I suppose if you had a citrusy recipe you could add some olives for a kick...but not enough to overpower the citrus.

[Wolfert]

Back about 20 years, I tasted a sweet olive and lemon mousse at Roger Verge's restaurant in Mougins. He used crisp, medium-green picholine olives, lemons, and pernod. If you need the recipe I can post it.

It is also in the revised edition of my Mediterranean Cooking.

[tan319]

Back about 20 years, I tasted a sweet olive and lemon mousse at Roger Verge's restaurant in Mougins. He used crisp, medium-green picholine olives, lemons, and pernod. If you need the recipe I can post it.

It is also in the revised edition of my Mediterranean Cooking.

I would love to see the recipe.

Thank you.

[Wolfert]

Mousse aux Olives Douces et au Citron

Sweet olive and lemon mousse

If you plan to publish this, please credit my book.

c\p.wolfert. Mediterranean Cooking, revised edition

New York: Harper Collins,1994

The fresh-tasting crisp, medium-green picholine olive has just a hint of sweetness. Could this have been French chef Roger Verge's inspiration for a similar dish served at his restaurant in Mougins?

Makes about 3 3/4 cups, serving 6 to 8

10 ounces (2 1/4 cups) green olives, preferably French picholine

l cup plus 2 teaspoons fine sugar

2 cups water

2 egg whites, at room temperature

2 organic lemons

l envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin

2 cups heavy cream

l l/2 teaspoons pernod

Prepare step l the day before.

1. Rinse olives. Place between paper toweling and gently smash each olive with a mallet to remove pit. Cover olives with water, bring to a boil, and drain. REpeat this procedure three more times. Taste the olives. They should no longer be bitter; if they are, boil again and drain. Place 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1 1/2 cups in a small saucepan. Heat stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add olives, invert a saucer over olives to keep them submerged in liquid and bring to a boil/ Simmer slowly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let soak for at least l day.

2. The following day, put 23 tablespons water in a small saucepan and stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Place over low heat and cook until sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Boil slowly until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees. While syrup is boiling, slowly beat egg whites with an electric beater until they froth. Raise speed to medium and beat until peaks form. Remove syrup from heat. Reduce speed and pour hot syrup in a slow steady stream onto whites, continuing to beat at low speed until whites are shiny, stiff, and cool to the touch. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Put remaining 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan, sprinkle on gelatin and set aside to soften for 10 minutes.

4.Drain olives, reserving syrup. Put about 2/3 of the olives and 1/4 cup syrup in a blender or food processor and puree. If puree is not smooth, press through a sieve. reserve syrup and remaining olives.

5. using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from lemons. cut into very fine strips and blanch in boiling water for l minute. Drain and refresh under cold water Simmer in the remaining syrup for 5 mintues and drain. Discard syrup. spread lemon strips on a rack to dry. Use a fork to separate any stangled strips.

6. Place saucepan of softened gelatin mixed with olive puree over low heat and warm gently, stirring until gelatin completely dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, stirring ever 5 mintues to keep mixture from setting.

7. In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the heavy ctream and remaining 2 teaaspoons sugar until just stiff enough to form soft peaks. Transfer one third of the cream to a small bowl and flavor with pernod. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

8.The whipped cream, beaten egg whites, and olive -gelatin mixture should be the same temperature before combining. Carefully fold one quarter of the whipped cream int the olive mixture to lighten. Gradually and gently fold remaining cream and then egg whites into the olive mixture until thoroughly blended. Carefully spoon mixtuer into 2 quart serving dish. Cover with plastric wrap and chill until ready to serve.]

9. To serve, swirl pernod flavored cream over mousse and decorate with remaining syrupy olives and lemon strips.

Tana: this is truly delicious.

[Kerry Beal]

Mousse aux Olives Douces et au Citron

Sweet olive and lemon mousse

<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>If you plan to publish this, please credit my book.

c\p.wolfert. Mediterranean Cooking, revised edition

New York: Harper Collins,1994</span>

The fresh-tasting crisp, medium-green picholine olive has just a hint of sweetness. Could this have been French chef Roger Verge's inspiration for a similar dish served at his restaurant in Mougins?

Makes about 3 3/4 cups, serving 6 to 8

10 ounces (2 1/4 cups) green olives, preferably French picholine

l cup plus 2 teaspoons fine sugar

2 cups water

2 egg whites, at room temperature

2 organic lemons

l envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin

2 cups heavy cream

l l/2 teaspoons pernod

Prepare step l the day before.

1. Rinse olives. Place between paper toweling and gently smash each olive with a mallet to remove pit. Cover olives with water, bring to a boil, and drain. REpeat this procedure three more times. Taste the olives. They should no longer be bitter; if they are, boil again and drain. Place 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1 1/2 cups in a small saucepan. Heat stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add olives, invert a saucer over olives to keep them submerged in liquid and bring to a boil/ Simmer slowly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let soak for at least l day.

2. The following day, put 23 tablespons water in a small saucepan and stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Place over low heat and cook until sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Boil slowly until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees. While syrup is boiling, slowly beat egg whites with an electric beater until they froth. Raise speed to medium and beat until peaks form. Remove syrup from heat. Reduce speed and pour hot syrup in a slow steady stream onto whites, continuing to beat at low speed until whites are shiny, stiff, and cool to the touch. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Put remaining 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan, sprinkle on gelatin and set aside to soften for 10 minutes.

4.Drain olives, reserving syrup. Put about 2/3 of the olives and 1/4 cup syrup in a blender or food processor and puree. If puree is not smooth, press through a sieve. reserve syrup and remaining olives.

5. using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from lemons. cut into very fine strips and blanch in boiling water for l minute. Drain and refresh under cold water Simmer in the remaining syrup for 5 mintues and drain. Discard syrup. spread lemon strips on a rack to dry. Use a fork to separate any stangled strips.

6. Place saucepan of softened gelatin mixed with olive puree over low heat and warm gently, stirring until gelatin completely dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, stirring ever 5 mintues to keep mixture from setting.

7. In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the heavy ctream and remaining 2 teaaspoons sugar until just stiff enough to form soft peaks. Transfer one third of the cream to a small bowl and flavor with pernod. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

8.The whipped cream, beaten egg whites, and olive -gelatin mixture should be the same temperature before combining. Carefully fold one quarter of the whipped cream int the olive mixture to lighten. Gradually and gently fold remaining cream and then egg whites into the olive mixture until thoroughly blended. Carefully spoon mixtuer into 2 quart serving dish. Cover with plastric wrap and chill until ready to serve.]

9. To serve, swirl pernod flavored cream over mousse and decorate with remaining syrupy olives and lemon strips.

Tana: this is truly delicious.

Paula - that looks fabulous - I've got to give it a try. Wonder what I would sub for the picholines - I'm sure they aren't available here?

[Lindacakes]

At the restaurant Ciya in Istanbul I had candied olives, along with other unusual candied non-fruits.

[Tri2Cook]

I did this one a few years ago. I called it Olive Me.

lemon olive upside down cake - candied olive nibs - olive oil ice cream - chocolate olive oil mousse "olives" - olive oil - sea salt

This is Sam Mason's recipe but, being a fan of Chef Mason, I had to know what it tasted like. So I made it.

kalamata cobbler - almond ice rceam

[nomnivorous]

A coworker had black olive caramel on the cheese plate at San Francisco bar/restaurant The Alembic and raved about it. I would love to find a recipe and try the flavors out since I wasn't able to make it there on my SF vacation.

[Chris Hennes]

I'm suspicious of olives in desserts ever since a Taiwanese friend of mine gave me a candied olive to try. Wow, that was the most vile thing I've ever encountered. Though nomnivorous I must admit to being intrigued by the notion of black olive caramel.

[Florida]

While I can't help you with a specific recipe, I can say that Vosges sells an olive oil, kalamata, and white chocolate truffle: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/collezione_italiana_16pc/collezione_italiana

as well as a mushroom and dark chocolate candy bar: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/organic_enchanted_mushroom_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

Edited November 11, 2010 by Florida (log)

[prasantrin]

I'm suspicious of olives in desserts ever since a Taiwanese friend of mine gave me a candied olive to try. Wow, that was the most vile thing I've ever encountered. Though nomnivorous I must admit to being intrigued by the notion of black olive caramel.

There's an olive thread in the China forum that explains that what Chinese people call "olives" are really jujubes (Chinese dates). It's an old thread, but I remember reading it recently when doing some research.

[Will]

There's an olive thread in the China forum that explains that what Chinese people call "olives" are really jujubes (Chinese dates). It's an old thread, but I remember reading it recently when doing some research.

From what I've been told, Chinese olives are different from Western / Mediterranean olives, but I don't think they are the same as jujubes.

Jujube is 枣 (zǎo) and Chinese olive is 橄榄 (gǎn lǎn). The pits are hard, harder than I believe jujube pits are - they're used to make charcoal which is traditionally used, among other things, as fuel for the small stoves used for Chaozhou gongfu cha (i.e., kung fu tea).

Also found this when doing a quick search, which may be interesting to some

http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=70

I've only eaten the sweet preserved olive once or twice, and I have to say I wasn't the hugest fan, though I'd try it again. I think it's an acquired taste....

Edited November 11, 2010 by Will (log)

[Kouign Aman]

The candied chinese olive I tried had an olive-like pit, tho it was certainly big enough to be a jujube. Now I have to go find a jujube and check out the pit.

I agree w Chris - it wasnt to my taste. Like crunchy white sugar with a hint of olive and a hint of anise. Painfully sweet.