Gordal Olives Stuffed with Piquillo Peppers, Marcona Almonds & Blue Cheese

Stuffed olives are a simple yet elegant Spanish tapas dish. (Annie Sibonney, Olives from Spain)

"Gordal is a large green olive from Spain that has a beautiful rich flavor and is perfect for stuffing because of its size," says Chef Annie Sibonney, co-creator and host of From Spain With Love. "Stuffed olives are so simple to prepare, yet impressive and can make any weeknight or get together with family and friends extra special."

Cook Time:45 min

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time:1 hours

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

24 Gordal Olives From Spain

3 Spanish Piquillo peppers from a jar, drained and cut lengthwise into about 8 thin strips

24 salted roasted whole Marcona almonds

3 tablespoons quality extra-virgin Spanish olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (vinagre de Jerez)

1/4 teaspoon of honey

1 whole sprig thyme, left intact

1/4- 1/2 loosely packed cup of crumbled Spanish blue cheese like Cabrales, or your favorite blue cheese

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine the olive oil, Sherry vinegar, thyme, and honey. Give it a stir and gently press on the thyme sprig with the back of the spoon to release the oils. Set aside until ready to use.

If olives are not pitted, remove pits by using the side of a large knife and apply gentle pressure, to loosen the flesh from the pit. Make a length-wise slit and very gently remove the pit. The olives should remain intact.

Place the olives on a flat surface like a wooden cutting board with the length-wise slit facing up. Stuff 1 whole almond, followed by a Piquillo pepper strip which should lay flush with the slit that was made on each olive. Trim the edges of the Piquillo pepper so they match the length of each olive.

Place the stuffed olives on a plate and gently spoon the marinade over each olive. Let the olives stand in their marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Serve by placing the olives on a platter and top with crumbled pieces of Cabrales or your favorite blue cheese.