Niçoise olives hail from Provence and add a mellow nuttiness to this French stew; be sure to warn diners, though, that these olives are unpitted. You can substitute pitted kalamata olives, if desired--they'll add a sharper flavor.
Made this for the first time tonight with a few minor changes and thought it was so delicious. I used more than the 1 tablespoon of olive oil listed in the recipe to sauté the vegetables and brown the meat. I used pork shoulder instead of tenderloin. Sautéed the veggies and set them aside. Browned the meat and spooned into a separate bowl. I added the wine to deglaze (a white Bordeaux), then returned the meat and the added the other ingredients except for the onions/fennel/garlic mixture. Simmered for an hour and then added the vegetables and simmered for another 45 minutes. Longer overall time required for the pork shoulder to get tender. I used kalamata olives and added the parsley when I added the olives. Served with a butter lettuce salad (diced red bell pepper, avacado, cherry tomato, grated Dubliner cheese, green onion, simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing). Pork shoulder was melt in your mouth tender and the overall taste was subtle and sophisticated. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
I've been making this for years and its a favorite. In my humble opinion you need to use a little bit more than 1 tablespoon of olive oil to properly soften the veggies and brown the pork. I find that lightly salting the pork a few hours before browning gives the stew a richer flavor. I use a mixture of kalamata and nicoise olives. I agree that the quality of the wine is essential. I use an Italian Pinot Grigio and high quality Italian tomatoes. I also recommend making it a day ahead up to the point of adding the olives, refrigerating the stew and reheating it gently the next day.
This is a great recipe. A recipe is only as good as the chef's ability to season to taste because everyone is different and the ability to select and use quality ingredients. If the Herbs de Provence are not fresh it can make or break a dish. And, pitting olives is not that difficult nor time consuming, it just takes a little practice. : )
I absolutely love this recipe. I've been making it for years, and I pretty much make it exactly as the recipe calls for. Made it tonight for my boyfriend for the first time, and he loved it! He kept saying how complex the flavors are. I will definitely make it again. Tonight we just had it with some oven-baked broccoli coated in herbs. Delish! I highly recommend - great for guests or just for home - we have a ton of leftovers and I'm excited to eat it again tomorrow!
A delicious dish. The flavor is subtle, not bland. Much depends on the quality of the wine you use. I prefer the more intense flavor of the kalamata olives as well.
I actually made this in my slow cooker. I sauteed the veggies and browned the meat, then threw it on low in the slow cooker with all other ingredients during the day. Meat was nice and tender. I made fresh breadsticks to go with it, and the breadsticks definitely made the meal great. Would absolutely recommend serving this with a nice bread, because it needs it.
I was disappointed in this recipe. Expected to love it as I love fennel and olives. But, in my opinion, the recipe is bland. Plus, it is nearly impossible to find pitted nicoise olives and doing it yourself is quite time intensive. Not a terrible recipe, just nothing special.
Good recipe to make using some ingredients I don't incorporate frequently. Tasted nice for the short amount of cooking time. Only problem I ran into is the recipe as written is way too much for a 5 Qt Dutch Oven. I initially planned to halve the recipe but did not because I thought it could affect the taste. Ended up making in two batches anyway because not doing so would have filled my pot to the brim. If just making for two eaters, halving the recipe is plenty and still tasted great.
