Aceitunas Ahumada (Smoked Olives)

Ingredients

• 4 cups brown or green olives, plain
• A large handful of rosemary, oregano, sage or other woody herbs
• 4 eshallots (golden shallots/banana shallots)
• 2 oranges
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 80 ml white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Method

Zest the oranges, place in a small bowl.

Finely dice the eshallots.

Toast the spices in a saucepan over high heat.

Finely chop the herbs.

Mince the garlic.

Combine olives and everything except the oil in a small bowl.

Wrap the bowl in gladwrap and smoke two or three times using a culinary smoker (or put in a metal bowl and on a metal tray, and use a BBQ smoking tray or smoker – don’t let it cook and keep the temperature under the olives low).

Taste for ‘smokiness’, add extra smoking time if needed.

Add oil, taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste.