9 olive dip recipes

Chopped black olives and canned clams stirred into sour cream with garlic powder and a kick of cayenne. Five minutes of effort, two hours in the fridge, and you've got a briny, creamy party dip.

Cajun chicken sauce piquant with a dark roux, Chablis wine, tomato sauce, stuffed olives, and hot pepper sauce, slow-cooked for hours and served over spaghetti. Big-batch Cajun cooking.

Baba ghannuj eggplant appetizer baked whole and mashed with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. The vegan Middle Eastern dip that turns one eggplant into a dinner-table star.

Fried chicken for Chanukah, marinated overnight in lemon juice, olive oil, and nutmeg, then flour-dipped, egg-washed, and pan-fried golden. A Sephardic-style Hanukkah centerpiece for the oil miracle.

Moroccan fava bean puree (bessara): dried favas simmered with garlic and cumin, blended with olive oil, served with Arab bread and a cumin-cayenne spice dip.

Howard Karten's salsa is a Mediterranean-leaning chunky tomato dip: peeled tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cumin, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar. No chiles, no cilantro, all flavor.

Quick herbed white bean dip with cannellini beans, garlic, lemon, olive oil, cumin, and oregano. The 10-minute Mediterranean appetizer that's lighter than hummus and just as versatile.

Polvo frito is a classic Portuguese dish of tender precooked octopus dipped in a parsley-flecked egg batter and shallow-fried in olive oil until golden. Simple, briny, and crisp at the edges.

Skordalia, the bold Greek garlic and potato dip whipped smooth with lemon and olive oil. This punchy, no-bread version is naturally vegan and gluten-free, served cold with fried fish or vegetables.