Provencal Tapenade

bluemoon downunder's Note:

The classic provençal olive, anchovy and caper paste is a dish that was only developed in the nineteenth century. This recipe for tapenade is made with kalamata olives and an amazing blend of flavours. It has been adapted from 'mediterranean kitchen', published by Murdoch Books, and posted for the 2005 Zaar World Tour. The preparation time below does not include the time necessary for sterilising a jar. The instructions for this are included below.

• Total Time: 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1.5 cups

• 400 g kalamata olives , pitted
• 4 garlic cloves , crushed
• 2 anchovy fillets , in oil, drained
• 2 tablespoons capers , in brine, rinsed and squeezed dry
• 2 teaspoons thyme , chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 60 ml olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
• fresh ground black pepper , to taste

Directions:

1. Process all the ingredients in a food processor until they form a smooth consistency.
2. Season with freshly ground black pepper and spoon into a sterilised, warm jar, seal and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Makes 11/2 cups (375ml).
3. Serve with fresh or toasted bread.
4. Notes: To prepare a sterilised jar, preheat the oven to 120ºC (250ºF/gas 1/2). Wash the jar and lid in hot soapy water and rinse with hot water. Put the jar in the oven for 20 minutes, or until fully dry, and DO NOT dry it with a tea towel. If the tapenade is refrigerated, the olive oil may solidify, making it white. This does not affect the flavour. Bring it to room temperature before serving, and the oil will liquify.

Reviews

[IngridH]

Yum! This was outstanding. I used anchovy paste, rather than whole anchovies, as this was what I had on hand, otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. The only thing that I would change is to roughly chop the garlic, then process less time for a chunkier texture. The flavor is great, and I look forward to using this to top grilled fish and chicken in the next week. Thanks for posting a great recipe!

[evelyn/athens]

Wow! Great flavour. I used WAY more anchovies (10?) but followed everything else. Spread this on croutons and served with rounds of chevre (goat cheese) and sun-dried tomatoes on the platter - this was an awesome appie for white wine.

[acerast]

We absolutely loved this!! The flavors were lovely and worked nicely on toasted bread. This would be so simple to prepare for unexpected guests or for expected ones too ;) Better yet, why wait for guests? Thanks bluemoon downunder for another great recipe. Made for ZWT5.