Olives
A must in every store cupboard, and although you can buy loose olives at deli counters (and it's good to buy small amounts to find which varieties you like), always have them tucked away in the larder in jars or tins as well. That means you can be spontaneous whenever you want to use olives in cooking. I like to have two kinds available: Greek calamata olives, which are quite large, and the tiny purple-brown Provençal ones, which are good for garnishes. Try to buy good-quality olives, and avoid the pitted ones, which are not the best. An olive pitter will make removing the stones fairly easy.
Related Recipes
Serves 4 Pork, potatoes, olives, tomatoes and chorizo combine to brilliant effect in this quick-to-prepare one-pot treat!
Serves 2 A jar of sweet red pepper tapenade and a handful of other robust ingredients turns a piece of haddock into a feast in minutes! Of course, you could just as easily use cod or any other firm-flavoured fish instead.
Serves 2 Hard to believe, but in just 15 minutes and with the help of a jar of roasted red and yellow pepper sauce, you can put together this classic Basque dish of chicken, peppers, onions, olives and chorizo - one-pot cooking at its best.
Serves 4-6 Inspired by the classic salade Nicoise, this sophisticated cheat version uses ready-cooked quail's eggs for the ultimate in lazy preparation.
Serves 2 In this quick and easy supper dish, black olives, anchovies and a bought red pepper sauce are used to coat white fish before grilling. Serve with seasonal veg or salad.