Black olive tapenade

Ingredients

• 220 g Pitted Nyons black olives or Provençal black olives
• 35 g Drained capers in vinegar
• 30 g Anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 clove Fresh garlic
• 60 ml Provençal extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Dried herbes de Provence
• to taste Black peppercorns

Method

1. Drain the olives, capers, and anchovies thoroughly. Place them on paper towels and let them dry for a few minutes: the tapenade will be denser and less watery.
2. Peel the garlic, cut it in half, and remove the germ if it is green or pronounced. This prevents an overly harsh flavor in a raw preparation.
3. In a mortar, start by crushing the garlic with the capers until you have a moist, fragrant paste. Add the anchovies and continue pounding until they blend into the base.
4. Add the olives a handful at a time and pound them while keeping a thick texture: the paste should remain slightly coarse, with tiny visible flecks of olive skin, and should not become a smooth purée.
5. Stir in the herbes de Provence and pepper, then gradually pour in the olive oil while working the paste with a spatula or pestle. Stop as soon as the tapenade becomes glossy, supple, and spreadable, with no free oil pooling on top.
6. Taste before adding anything: the olives, capers, and anchovies are already very salty. If the flavor seems too concentrated, loosen it only with a drizzle of olive oil, never with water.
7. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Before serving, bring it back to room temperature for a few minutes and stir: the aroma of the olive and garlic should come through clearly again.
8. Serve simply on slices of toasted bread, garlic-rubbed crostini, or as part of a Provençal aperitif.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

334.7 kcal

Protein

3.24 g

Carbohydrate

0.68 g

Fat

34.17 g

Fibre

6.6 g

Calcium

73.68 mg

Iron

5.18 mg

Magnesium

16.09 mg