This Provencal olive spread is easy to make and delicious on crostini, spooned over fish fillets, served with chicken breasts or lamb chops, or tossed into pasta.
Course Appetizer, Condiment
Cuisine French
Keyword black olive tapenade, olive tapenade, tapenade recipe
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions
(Optional) Mince the garlic and combine it with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes (This will reduce the harsh bite of the raw garlic in the tapenade - if you like a more assertive garlic flavor, skip this step and add the garlic and lemon juice with the olives in the food processor.)
Drain, rinse, and pat dry the olives, capers, and anchovies. Place them in the bowl of a food processor, with the Dijon mustard (if using). Use short pulses to coarsely chop the mixture, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add the garlic/lemon juice mixture, thyme, and parsley. Pulse a few times to combine. Add enough olive oil in a steady stream while pulsing to create a thick, medium- to coarse-textured, spreadable paste.
Season to taste with pepper (optional), stirring to combine. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Return to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Variation: Instead of fresh thyme and parsley leaves, tapenade is also delicious with a few fresh basil leaves.