The Test Kitchen

This Briny, Cheesy Dip Is a Dirty Martini Lover’s Dream

Name: This Briny, Cheesy Dip Is a Dirty Martini Lover’s Dream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2/3 cup (100 g) pitted Spanish Queen olives, drained and quartered lengthwise, plus 5 tablespoons(75 ml) brine from jar, divided (see notes); 2 tablespoons (30 g) jarred diced pimentos, drained; 2 (3-inch long; 3 g each) lemon peel strips; 1/4 cup (60 ml) London dry gin; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry vermouth; 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, at room temperature; 1/2 cup (120 ml) crème fraîche, at room temperature; 3 ounces blue cheese, preferably gorgonzola dolce, crumbled (about 3/4 cup crumbled; see notes); 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish; Pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided; Crudités, potato chips, and/or crackers, for serving

8 servings

servings

15 minutes

active time

1 hour 15 minutes

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

2/3 cup (100 g) pitted Spanish Queen olives, drained and quartered lengthwise, plus 5 tablespoons(75 ml) brine from jar, divided (see notes)

2 tablespoons (30 g) jarred diced pimentos, drained

2 (3-inch long; 3 g each) lemon peel strips

1/4 cup (60 ml) London dry gin

2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry vermouth

8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (120 ml) crème fraîche, at room temperature

3 ounces blue cheese, preferably gorgonzola dolce, crumbled (about 3/4 cup crumbled; see notes)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

Pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Crudités, potato chips, and/or crackers, for serving

Directions

In a 2-cup glass jar, place olives, jarred pimento, lemon peel strips, gin, vermouth, and 3 tablespoons olive brine; seal and shake until combined. Refrigerate until flavors meld for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Using a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain olive mixture, reserving olives and pimentos in a separate bowl from marinade; discard lemon peels.

In the bowl of a food processor, place cream cheese, crème fraîche, gorgonzola dolce, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons reserved gin marinade, 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive brine and process until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Add 1/3 cup of reserved drained olives and pimentos, and pulse until finely chopped and incorporated into cream cheese mixture, 8 to 10 (1-second) pulses.

Transfer mixture to a medium serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until flavors meld and dip is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Before serving, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and top with remaining 1/3 cup olives and pimentos. Garnish with black pepper. Serve with crudités, potato chips, or crackers.

Nutrition

Serving Size

Calories

269 kcal

Total Fat

24 g

Saturated Fat

12 g

Unsaturated Fat

0 g

Trans Fat

Cholesterol

55 mg

Sodium

343 mg

Total Carbohydrate

5 g

Dietary Fiber

1 g

Total Sugars

2 g

Protein

5 g