Don’t pour that olive brine down the drain – it’s a flavour bomb | Waste not

There’s more to that salty umami aroma than kickstarting a dirty martini. Use it to give your focaccia a perfect flavourful crust

When I taste-tested olives for the food filter column a few months ago, it reminded me that the brine is an ingredient in its own right. This intensely savoury liquid adds umami depth to whatever it touches, and, beyond seasoning soups and stews, it can also be used to make salamoia, the aromatic brine that’s traditionally used to top focaccia and create that perfect salty crust.