Note that there are hundreds of olive varieties, some might work better than others. Results may vary, so start with small quantities. And as with any produce that you plan to preserve, use only fresh, ripe  and spotless fruit. Read the entire article from Harald Zoschke on the Burn! Blog here.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh olives
8 oz. sea salt
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Rinse the olives. We didn’t blanch our olives, but if you prefer, submerge olives in 90C (195F) hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Put a clean cheesecloth or kitchen towel in a strainer, fill in the olives and mix with 8 oz. of salt. Cover with cloth and let sit at a cool place for 20 days, mixing through every other day.
Rinse the olives, pat dry and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with some fennel seeds and coarse salt. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 100C (210F).
Let cool and put olives in a glass jar. Add fennel seeds, salt, pepper flakes, dried oregano and olive oil. Close jar and shake well until olives are coated evenly.
Store cool and dark, the olives should stay fresh for about 6 months. Use either as a snack, or in recipes like spicy pasta sauce or on pizza (pits removed).

Mussels are delicious when simply steamed in garlic and white wine. This recipe combines steaming with smoking for a great appetizer. From Mike Stines’ article “Smoking Succulent Shellfish”. Read more how-to and recipes for smoked mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters here.

Ingredients

1 to 2 pounds Blue mussels
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot minced
4 springs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions

Add the wine, lemon juice, garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes to a 6 1/2-quart stock pot. Fit a steamer basket into the pot and bring the liquid to a high simmer over medium heat.

Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush and remove the “beard” on the edge of the mussels (do not do this in advance, as removing the beard will kill the mussel).

Put the mussels into the stock pot and tightly cover. Steam the mussels until they just open, about five to seven minutes. Drain in a colander. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells—reserving the shells for presentation. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Prepare the smoker for a 200 degrees F. cook using whatever wood you prefer. Smoke the mussels on a grill rack or smoking mat for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook the mussels.

Remove the mussels from the smoker. Place the smoked mussel in one half of the reserved shell and serve.

(Any remaining mussels may be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to three days. I usually store them in a good-quality olive oil.)

My preference is to shuck the clams before smoking so they absorb more of the smoke flavor, but whole clams can be smoked until the shells open, about ten minutes. Fishmongers use different names for clams based on their size. The smallest harvestable clam is a littleneck (about one inch in diameter), then middleneck, followed by topneck. Larger clams are cherrystones (three to four per pound) and chowder clams. One pound of topneck clams contains about five to seven clams. From Mike Stines’ article “How to Smoke Succulent Shellfish” here.

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds littleneck or middleneck clams
Lemon wedges
Freshly minced parsley for garnish
Cocktail sauce, if desired

Instructions

Soak the clams in cold water for an hour, which allows them to purge any sand. Scrub the clams under running cold water with a vegetable brush.

Shuck the clams. To shuck clams, you’ll need a clam knife (different from an oyster knife, as the tip is not curved and the blade is thinner) and a mesh glove to protect your hand if the knife slips. Experienced shuckers will just use a side towel to hold the clam. It’s easier to open clams if they have been chilled for several hours.

Hold the clam with the hinge facing the palm of your gloved hand. Using the side of the knife, wedge the blade between the shells at the front on the clam. When the shell opens, slide the knife around the clam to cut the adductor muscles holding the shells together. Run the knife along the top and bottom surfaces inside the knife to free the clam. Discard one half of the shell, reserving the other half for cooking and presentation.

Prepare the smoker for 225 degrees F. cooking using the wood of your choice (I recommend using maple or apple wood). Place the clams on a vegetable grate and smoke for 30 to 40 minutes.