Have a Mediterranean Christmas

Put a creative spin on festive cooking and discover the rich heritage and even richer flavour profile of olives from Spain

Olives have been at the heart of Spanish culture and cuisine for more than 2,000 years – plenty of time to perfect their journey from branch to plate. Each fruit is carefully checked for fat content, ratio of flesh to pit and skin smoothness, to ensure only the best make the cut. The result is an edible treasure that works as a stand-alone snack or as a flavour enhancer in dips, toppings, sauces and more.

As the world’s top olive exporter, Spain is home to a colourful range of sweet, bitter and sour varieties. From the iconic Manzanilla to the delicate Hojiblanca, there’s something for every palate.

It’s easy to incorporate olives into festive recipes. Choose an interesting filling such as smoked salmon or cheese for the perfect dinner party spread, or use them to jazz up your stuffing along with dried peaches, onions and sage.

Bacon-wrapped chicken thigh with apricot & olive stuffing SERVES 4 ! PREP 15 MINS ! COOK 20-25 MINS

110g day-old bread

1 banana shallot, finely chopped 225g sausagemeat

80g dried apricots, roughly chopped 90g pitted green olives from Spain, roughly chopped

12-16 sage leaves, roughly chopped 8 streaky bacon rashers

8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone out drizzle of olive oil

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

In a food processor, blitz the bread into fine breadcrumbs.

For the stuffing, combine the shallot, sausagemeat, apricots, olives, sage and 80g of the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lay out the bacon rashers on a flat surface and place a chicken thigh on top of each, skin-side down. Add a quarter of the stuffing to the centre of each chicken thigh, roll to wrap in the bacon and secure with a cocktail stick. Coat each rolled, stuffed thigh with the remaining breadcrumbs, place on a baking tray and drizzle with the oil. Roast for 20-25 mins on the middle shelf of your oven. For the last 5 mins of cooking, turn the heat up to 240C/220C fan/gas 9 for a golden, crispy finish. Serve with a mixed salad.