Marinated Olives

Aceitunas Manzanilla Aliñadas

Everywhere, in every bar you'll find these - marinated olives, Andaluz style.

This is a very rustic recipe - and in my experience it's a 'Marmite' love it or hate it thing.

The very young olives are bashed and then marinated in salt water. The salt is continually added until a fresh egg can float in the water.

It's a complex process of marinating, with a little vinegar added and also wild thyme, and oregano together with red peppers, bitter oranges and 'hinojo', which is the indigenous fennel here that grows like a weed; it adds that anise flavour.