Green Olive Salad with Pomegranate Molasses

Nar EkŞili YeŞil Zeytin Salatası

Sweet, sour, and lightly salty, this salad is meant to be eaten in small bites. In Hatay it’s made with tiny dark green olives that are cracked before they are brined and added to the salad unpitted. Any fruity green olive packed in brine is a good substitute.

This is an appetizer or breakfast dish in Hatay. I serve it with drinks or as a relish to accompany grilled lamb. If you can’t find tasty ripe tomatoes, leave them out.

You can prepare the bulk of the dish well ahead and then add the parsley and tomatoes just before serving. See the photo.

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus optional 1 hour soaking time for the olives

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter, with other meze

• About 2 ounces medium–large fruity green olives in brine
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 long sweet or hot red chiles, such as cayenne or Holland, stemmed, seeds removed if you like, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fruity olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)
• ¼ loosely packed cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 small ripe tomato, diced, or 5 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters (optional)

1. Taste the olives. If they are very salty, drain them, place in a medium bowl, add cold water to cover, and set aside for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Put the olives on a cutting board and use the side of a large chef’s knife or cleaver to crack them. Leave them whole and unpitted, or slice in half and remove the pits.

3. Place the olives in a medium bowl and add the scallions and chiles. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses and toss. Taste the salad and add pomegranate molasses and/or lemon juice and salt if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature and add the parsley and tomatoes before serving. (Be sure to warn guests if you have left the pits in the olives.)