Trio of olive purées

It can’t be a proper dinner party without all those tasty and delicious specialties that stimulate both the eye and the taste buds, not to mention the nose: that’s why today’s recipe is designed to make all your guests’ mouths start watering instantly. And what could be better than a lovely side dish, prepared with attention to detail and a balance of flavours, something that is characterized by a certain elegance, such as a nice trio of puréed olives, rich in colour and fragrance? All you have to do is buy some top quality olives - for example, some of the excellent taggiasca variety - and then follow our recipe step-by-step. Now, can you wait to see the pleasure on the faces of your guests as they sample your culinary arts?

Boil the potatoes and mash them well. Take three bowls in which you will put the different toppings. Purée of olives: chop some Taggiasca olives, then finely chop together some parsley and sage, add two tablespoons of oil and a clove of crushed garlic; put the mashed potatoes in a small saucepan and add the toppings and a little water to mix; salt to taste. Purée of black olives: pit the black olives and chop them up, chop the basil, add two tablespoons of oil; put the mashed potatoes in a small saucepan and add the toppings and a little water to mix; salt to taste. Purée of green olives: chop the green olives and fresh chilli, finely chop a little parsley, season with olive oil and lemon juice; put the mashed potatoes in a small saucepan and add the topping and a little water to mix; salt to taste. Served in three separate bowls as a side dish for meat or fish.