Making Classic Olive Tapenade
A good tapenade shouldn't be a smooth purée. It is at its best when you can taste the sharp punch of the capers against the deep, earthy profile of the olives.
Start with the right olives.
Avoid canned, mild black olives. You need oil-cured or brine-cured olives with wrinkled skins for the necessary depth of flavor.
- food processor
- rubber spatula
- measuring spoons
What goes in.
- 2 cupspitted black olives, such as Niçoise or Kalamata
- 3 tbspcapers, rinsed and patted dry
- 2anchovy fillets, oil-packed
- 1 smallgarlic clove, peeled
- 1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 1 tspfresh thyme leaves
- 1/2lemon, juiced
Controlling the texture
Use short, sharp pulses of the machine. If you run the processor continuously, the olives will turn into an oily paste rather than a chunky, rustic spread.
The method.
Prep the aromatics
Drop the garlic clove into the processor first and pulse until minced so you don't end up with large chunks of raw garlic in the final spread.
Add the solids
Add the olives, capers, anchovies, and thyme. Pulse 6 to 8 times until the ingredients are broken down into small, uniform pieces.
Emulsify with oil
With the motor running on a low pulse, drizzle the olive oil in a slow, thin stream. Stop as soon as the mixture looks glossy and clings together.
Finish with acid
Stir in the lemon juice by hand with a spatula. Taste before adding any salt, as the olives and capers are already quite briny.
Other turns to take.
Green Tapenade
Swap black olives for Castelvetrano or Picholine olives and add a handful of fresh parsley for a brighter, grassy profile.
Sun-Dried Tomato
Add four oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes to the base mixture for a deeper sweetness.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always taste an olive before adding it to the processor; if it is excessively salty, soak it in cold water for ten minutes and dry it thoroughly.
If you lack a food processor, use a mortar and pestle to maintain the best rustic texture.
Store in a glass jar covered with a thin layer of olive oil to keep the surface from drying out in the refrigerator.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I remove the anchovies?
You can leave them out, but they provide a necessary underlying saltiness that balances the olives; if omitted, add a tiny pinch of sea salt.
How long does this keep?
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it stays fresh for up to one week.
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