Smoked Marinated Olives (pb, Gf) Recipe

Rinse and drain

Rinse the olives under cool water and drain thoroughly in a colander. If using jarred olives with a strong brine, soak in fresh water for 10 minutes and drain to reduce excess salt, then pat dry with paper towels.

Combine marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, lemon zest, red pepper flakes (if using) and dry white wine (if using). Taste a small drop of the marinade and adjust salt/acid as needed — remember the olives will remain salty, so be cautious with additional salt.

Marinate olives

Add the drained olives to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours to let flavors meld before smoking. Stir once or twice during this time to redistribute aromatics.

Set up smoker or stovetop cold-smoke

For cold-smoking: prepare a smoker set to a low smoke only temperature (ideally below 90°F / 32°C). Alternatively for stovetop cold-smoke: place a small disposable foil tray or tin lined with hickory chips in the bottom of a large covered pot or enameled Dutch oven. Scatter the hickory chips (and a few rosemary sprigs if you like) in the tray. Place a wire rack above the chips to hold the olives in a shallow heatproof bowl or on a small rimmed sheet so they are not in direct contact with heat. The goal is smoke without cooking.

Generate smoke

Light the hickory chips with a blowtorch or briefly heat them until they begin to smoke, then immediately cover with the pot lid or close the smoker so smoke infuses the chamber. If using an electric smoker, use hickory chips and set to the lowest smoke-only setting. Maintain smoke for 15–30 minutes depending on how pronounced you want the hickory flavor (15 minutes for a gentle hint, 30 minutes for stronger smoke).

Hot-smoking alternative

If you don't have a cold-smoke setup, you can hot-smoke the olives: preheat a smoker to 200–225°F (95–110°C), place olives in a shallow pan or on a tray in the smoker and smoke for 20–30 minutes. Be aware hot-smoking will warm the olives slightly but still preserves texture.

Cool and combine

After smoking, remove the olives from the smoker or pot and let them cool briefly (5–10 minutes). Transfer them back to the bowl with remaining marinade and toss to coat, scraping any smoked oil and rosemary into the mix.

Rest for flavor

Allow the smoked marinated olives to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (overnight is better) so smoke and aromatics fully penetrate. Bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving to let flavors open up.

Garnish & serve

Just before serving, taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, drizzle the optional finishing oil and scatter a few fresh rosemary leaves or additional lemon zest on top. Serve in a shallow bowl with toothpicks or as part of a snack board. Keeps refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks; bring to room temp before serving.