📝 About This Recipe
Inspired by the legendary Albert and Ferran Adrià, these liquid olives represent the pinnacle of modernist gastronomy. Using frozen reverse spherification, a vibrant essence of high-quality green olives is encapsulated within a delicate, invisible calcium-alginate membrane. When bitten, the sphere bursts, flooding the palate with a concentrated, silky explosion of pure Mediterranean flavor.
🥗 Ingredients
The Olive Base
- 500 grams Manzanilla or Castelvetrano Olives (pitted, high quality)
- 100 milliliters Olive Brine (reserved from the jar)
- 0.8 grams Xanthan Gum (to provide body and suspension)
- 5 grams Calcium Lactate Gluconate (the calcium source for the reaction)
The Alginate Bath
- 1 liter Distilled Water (must be low calcium/distilled for success)
- 5 grams Sodium Alginate (the gelling agent)
Finishing and Aromatics
- 200 milliliters Extra Virgin Olive Oil (premium quality for storage)
- 2 strips Lemon Peel (yellow part only)
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme (for infusing the oil)
- 1 piece Garlic Cloves (smashed)
- 1 pinch Maldon Sea Salt (for final garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the Alginate Bath: Blend the distilled water and sodium alginate with an immersion blender until completely dissolved. This may take 2-3 minutes of vigorous blending.
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2
Rest the Bath: Cover the alginate bath and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or ideally overnight. This allows the air bubbles trapped during blending to escape, which is crucial for forming clear, perfect spheres.
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3
Extract the Olive Essence: Place the pitted olives and their brine in a high-speed blender. Process until you have a very smooth, fine purée.
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4
Strain the Mixture: Pass the olive purée through a fine-mesh sieve or a chinois lined with cheesecloth. You want a clean, intense olive juice without any fibrous solids.
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5
Thicken and Fortify: Add the calcium lactate gluconate and xanthan gum to the strained olive juice. Use the immersion blender again to ensure there are no lumps. The xanthan gum should give the liquid a slightly syrupy consistency.
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6
Degas the Base: If you have a vacuum sealer, pulse the olive base to remove air bubbles. Otherwise, let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours until the bubbles subside.
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7
Freeze the Spheres: Pour the olive mixture into small semi-sphere silicone molds (about 2-3cm diameter). Freeze until completely solid, usually 4-6 hours.
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8
The Spherification Reaction: Heat the alginate bath slightly to room temperature. Drop the frozen olive spheres into the bath one by one, ensuring they do not touch each other.
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9
The Curing Process: Allow the spheres to 'cook' in the bath for 3 minutes. As the frozen olive melts, the calcium reacts with the alginate to form a thin gel membrane around the liquid center.
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10
Rinse the Spheres: Using a perforated spoon, carefully lift the spheres from the alginate bath and transfer them to a bowl of clean, cold water to stop the reaction.
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11
Infuse the Oil: In a small container, combine the extra virgin olive oil, lemon peel, thyme, and smashed garlic. This will be the holding liquid for your olives.
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12
Store and Marinate: Carefully transfer the rinsed spheres into the flavored oil. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving so they absorb the aromatics.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use distilled or bottled water for the bath; tap water often contains too much calcium which will cause the bath to gel prematurely. Ensure your silicone molds are perfectly clean to maintain the 'olive' shape. If the spheres are sticking together in the bath, you are adding too many at once; work in small batches. Use a digital scale that measures to 0.1g accuracy, as molecular gastronomy relies on precise ratios. If you don't want to freeze them, you can drop the liquid directly into the bath using a measuring spoon, though freezing ensures a perfectly round shape every time.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve each olive on a traditional Spanish ceramic spoon for an elegant single-bite presentation. Pair with a dry Manzanilla Sherry to echo the salty, briny notes of the olive. Place a single sphere atop a toasted baguette slice with a sliver of white anchovy (boquerone). Garnish with a tiny piece of lemon zest or a micro-thyme leaf just before serving. Present alongside a chilled glass of Cava for a sophisticated aperitivo experience.