Shiraz-marinated olives with lemon and aniseed myrtle

This recipe uses pre-cured olives, adding extra flavour by marinating in Shiraz and spices. It makes a great festive gift and is far less legwork than pickling from fresh. This recipe will fill around 6 small jars depending on the size.

Credit: On Country Kitchen

• makes

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg split green olives
• 1 cup date olives (dry salted black olives)
• 500 ml shiraz
• 1 tsp honey
• 6 fresh lemon myrtle leaves, bruised
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 20 lemon aspen berries, crushed
• 3 tsp aniseed myrtle
• 125 ml lemon aspen syrup
• 125 ml lemon aspen juice
• 20 lemon aspen berries, crushed
• lime and lemon zest, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat wine on a low heat. Add lemon aspen berries, honey, lemon myrtle leaves and all dried spices. Add olives and simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add lime and lemon zest to olives, then pack into sterilized glass jars.

Store in a cool dark place.

Catch Mark Olive in the second season of On Country Kitchen, Wednesdays 7:30 on NITV from 23 October to 18 December, or on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.