With summer days of relaxed al fresco entertaining upon us, have these nibbles at the ready any time the doorbell rings.

Recipe Rosa Matto | Photograph Brendan Homan | Styling Natalie Homan

Deep fried olives, peppers and caperberries

12 jumbo olives, pitted
12 fefferoni peppers, mild or hot to taste
12 caperberries
12 sage leaves
150g plain flour
Salt and pepper
2 eggs, well beaten
150g panko crumbs
Sunflower oil for frying

Rinse the olives, peppers, caperberries and sage leaves and dry on paper towels. Arrange three small bowls on the bench. Put the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper in the first bowl, put the eggs in the second and the panko crumbs in the third. Dredge the olives, peppers, caperberries and sage in the flour, then dip into the egg and finally coat with panko crumbs. In the meantime, heat the oil and carefully fry the olives, peppers, caperberries and sage leaves in turn. Drain on paper towels. 

This recipe first appeared in the December/January 2018 issue of SALIFE magazine.