Tapenade is a Provençal olive paste from Marseille, made with olives, capers and anchovies. The name comes from the Provençal word tapeno, meaning “caper”. It’s wonderful simply spread on toasted bread with a glass of rosé, but it can also be used to stuff poultry or swirled into pasta.
I particularly love using it to make party twists: I spread homemade tapenade over a sheet of puff pastry, cut it into strips, twist each strip and bake for a few minutes. They disappear every single time!
Which green olives to use?
Look for Salonenque or Béruguette cracked green olives from Provence — they have the best flavour for tapenade.
Ingredients
- 250 g jar of green olives
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp capers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 anchovies (in oil)
- Fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
This recipe is very quick to prepare. If you can, use a mortar and pestle rather than a food processor — pounding the olives slowly releases their essential oils and gives a far more complex, aromatic flavour. If you don’t have a mortar, use a large bowl and mash everything with a fork.
- Peel the garlic clove, cut it in half and remove the green germ from the centre (this makes it more digestible).
- Finely chop the garlic. Wash a few basil leaves, place them in a glass and snip them with scissors directly into the glass.
- In a mortar (or large bowl), combine the olives, garlic, capers, anchovies and basil. Pound or mash until you reach a rough paste — leave a little texture rather than going completely smooth.
- Gradually drizzle in the olive oil, mixing as you go, until you have a spreadable consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve on toasted sourdough, baguette slices, or use as a filling for puff pastry twists.
Bon appétit! 🫒🌿
Tip: Tapenade keeps for up to 1 week in a sealed jar in the fridge. Cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil to keep it fresh.