Crushed Olives

To prepare the crushed olives, start in the morning as you will need to change the soaking water a couple of times a day, morning and evening. Take the fresh green olives (choose the plumpest and largest ones if possible), beat them with a meat tenderizer 1 to split them in half without breaking them completely if possible and remove the pit 2. Place them in a large bowl and pour in the water 3

Until they are completely covered 4. Cover the bowl with a clean, dry cloth 5 and store the olives in a cool, dry place away from heat sources. You will need to change the water 2 times a day, with an interval of about 8 hours between each change. So, drain the olives from the soaking water 6

and cover them again with fresh water 7, place the clean and dry cloth back 8 and store them again in the same way, changing the water twice a day as indicated. Change the water for the olives for 5 days respecting these times. On the sixth day, their color and texture will already be different; drain them 9

and cover them again with fresh water 10; then leave them to rest until the next day. On the seventh day, rinse, salt, and cover again with water; then leave them to rest until the eighth day, when you can drain your crushed olives, which by now will appear quite dark 11; rinse them thoroughly under fresh running water 12

then spread them out on a clean cloth 13 and gently pat them dry 14. Transfer the crushed olives to a bowl, season with salt and olive oil 15

then peel the garlic and slice it thinly 16, halve the fresh chili lengthwise 17, remove the seeds inside and cut it into thin strips 18.

Complete the seasoning with the garlic, chili 19 and dried oregano 20. Mix to flavor and serve your crushed olives as a side dish (or as an appetizer if you prefer) 21!