Green Olive Dip patê de azeitonas verdes makes about 11/2 cups When I visited A Bolota, a lovely restaurant perched on the sweeping plains of the eastern Alentejo, this dip was brought to our table. As I nattered away with friends, I dipped, spread, and nibbled, until I realized I alone had eaten all of it. Later, when I became friendly with the cook, Ilda Vinagre, I watched her make it and was flummoxed when she whipped up its silky base: Milk "Mayonnaise" (page 237)-whole milk whirred into a smooth consistency with the addition of vegetable oil. I serve this as a dip with a platter of crudités, alongside crackers or bread, or, sometimes, as a topping for grilled fish. Atenção •Don't make this in a food processor. The bowls of most processors are too large to allow the scant amount of ingredients to whip up to the right consistency. A small narrow blender, or a mini chop or handheld blender, works best. ⅓ cup whole milk 6 oil-packed anchovy fillets 1 small garlic clove, smashed Leaves and tender stems of 6 fresh cilantro sprigs Pinch of freshly ground white pepper 3/4 cup vegetable oil ⅔ cup pitted green olives such as manzanilla, rinsed quickly if particularly salty, roughly chopped 1.Add the milk, anchovies, garlic, two thirds of the cilantro, and the pepper to a blender and pulse to combine. With the motor running, pour the oil in what the Portuguese call a fio, or fine thread. Keep whirring until the oil is incorporated and the mixture thickens, 30 to 40 seconds. 2.Scrape the dip into a serving bowl and stir in the olives. Mince the remaining cilantro, sprinkle on top, and serve. Excerpted from The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast by David Leite All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
