Elies Sto Fourno are a staple in my kitchen when it comes to nibblies for when mates popping around unannounced as its so simple, and the roasted olives are incredibly more-ish you won’t want to stop snacking on them. I feel like warmed olives are generally more popular and if I am being completely honest I don’t really get the hype. The warmed ones tend to have very little flavour imparted on them and just feel oily on the mouth. The roasted ones however get all that flavour condensed and punch into the flesh leaving with a umami, vegemite like bite of flavour.

It’s an incredibly easy recipe to put together, everything gets thrown into a baking tray and then thrown into the oven for half an hour which leaves you to get along with hosting your mates and pouring wines. When it comes to aromatics, I love a simple mix of orange, fennel seed and garlic, as where my family is from in the north of Peloponnesos, these tend to be preferred ingredients with citrus and fennel lining the hills. But the best part about this recipe is how versatile it is to what you have available. Swap orange peel for lemon or grapefruit, or interject rosemary or thyme, or even cumin seeds instead of the fennel seeds. Have a lonely shallot sitting around? Rough chop and add that in as well, use up what you have and every time you’ll be rewarded with a savoury bar snack that goes perfect with some bread to soak up all that tray bottom oil.