The key to good tapenade, not surprisingly, is good olives. I like the oil-cured kind for this, but they must not be too dried out or they become unpleasantly acrid, and no amount of olive oil can save them. So taste one before buying. (Regular canned black olives are fine too if you can’t find olives in bulk.) In Provence, considered its home, tapenade is used mostly as a spread for plain toasted bread or Crostini (page 41). But it’s also great as a dip for raw vegetables, on sandwiches of any type, or as a quick spread to put on meat or fish before roasting or after grilling or broiling. It will keep, refrigerated, for about a month; always bring back to room temperature before serving.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pit the olives. If you’re using oil-cured olives, you can simply squeeze out the pit; with brined olives you might have to flatten the olive with the side of a knife, which will split it and allow you to remove the pit.
Step 2
Combine the olives, capers, anchovies, and garlic in a food processor or blender, along with some of the olive oil. Pulse the machine once or twice, then add the remaining olive oil a bit at a time, pulsing between additions. Do not keep the machine running; you want a coarse, chunky, uneven blend—what you’re trying to do is mimic the kind of paste you’d get with a mortar and pestle (which you can certainly use, if you feel like it; I never would).
Step 3
Add more olive oil if necessary to reach a nice pasty consistency; stir in the black pepper, then refrigerate or garnish if you wish and serve.
Simpler Tapenade
Step 4
Milder in flavor and easier to make: Omit the anchovies, garlic, and capers; add a teaspoon or so of red wine vinegar and a pinch of dried thyme (or, if you have it, herbes de Provence).
Green Tapenade
Step 5
Use good green olives; the large kind from Sicily are nice, as are the small kind from southern France. Substitute canned tuna (in water or olive oil) for the anchovies, about 1/4 cup. A little cumin—a teaspoon or so—is pleasant here.
