Tapenade
Taggiasca olives, capers and anchovy pounded in a mortar: a Provençal tapenade to finish to your taste.
Method
Pound the pitted olives, capers and anchovy fillet in a mortar. If using a salted anchovy, desalinate it first; if using one packed in oil, drain it. Work the mixture into a paste, leaving it as coarse or smooth as you like.
Add a little garlic and the herbs. Gradually work in the extra virgin olive oil until the tapenade reaches the desired consistency. Finish with a few drops of lemon juice and, if you like, a little mustard. Taste before adding salt: the olives, capers and anchovy are already salty.
Tips
Serve the tapenade on toasted bread or alongside other dishes. Instead of lemon juice, try a little finely chopped peel from preserved lemon, as used in Middle Eastern cooking.
Variations
You can pound nuts, such as almonds or pine nuts, with the base ingredients.
Olive and fig tapenade: for every 100 g of olives, add 40–50 g dried figs, softened in water and drained, and pound them in the mortar with the olives, capers and anchovy. The photograph shows figs dried in the sun with wild oregano. Fresh figs or grapes can also bring a sweet contrast to the savoury tapenade.