Olive Oil Marinated Mushrooms

Olive oil marinated mushrooms are the kind of thing you want sitting in a jar in the fridge for the next time someone drops by. Small button mushrooms get poached briefly in a tangy bath of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, thyme, and a smear of tomato paste, then steeped overnight so every fold soaks up the brine.

The technique is what sets these apart from a quick toss-and-marinate. You actually cook the mushrooms in the marinade for 15 minutes, then reduce the liquid by more than half before pouring it back over. That concentrating step is what builds depth instead of leaving you with thin, watery brine.

The brandy goes in at the very end so the alcohol bite stays sharp. It cuts the richness of the olive oil and makes the whole jar taste more grown-up than your average pickled mushroom.

Serve them on a cheese board, fold into a salad, or chop and stir through pasta with a little of the marinade for instant flavor.

Pro Tips

• Wipe mushrooms with a damp towel instead of rinsing. They’re sponges and waterlogged mushrooms won’t take on the marinade properly.
• Use small buttons whole if you can find them. Quartering large mushrooms exposes too much surface and they go soft.
• Reduce the cooking liquid hard at the end. The recipe says down to a half cup, and that concentration is what makes the marinade cling.
• Make these at least 24 hours ahead. They peak around day three in the fridge.

Variations

• Swap the brandy for dry sherry or a splash of vermouth for a different aromatic finish.
• Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic for a spicy version.
• Use a mix of cremini and small portobellos for deeper, meatier flavor.