Chef Ally
Anchoïade with Seasonal Crudités
A pungent, silky Provençal dip of pounded anchovies and garlic, surrounded by whatever crisp vegetables the market offered that morning. Simple food that rewards good sourcing.
Culinary Explorer
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Provençal Black Olive Tapenade
Created by
A bold, briny spread from the hills of Provence where sun-ripened olives, salt-cured capers, and anchovies are pounded together into something greater than their parts, begging for crusty bread and good company.
Appetizers & Snacks
French
Make Ahead
Dinner Party
Picnic
15 min
Active Time
0 min cook•15 min total
YieldAbout 1 1/2 cups
Start with the olives. Not the canned California kind, but the small, wrinkled olives cured in brine or oil, the ones that taste like the Mediterranean sun and rocky hillsides. Niçoise olives are traditional. Kalamata will do beautifully. What matters is that they have character, that faint bitterness balanced by richness, and the kind of depth that only time and salt can create.
Tapenade is one of those preparations that proves my point about perfect ingredients needing almost nothing done to them. You pound olives with capers and anchovies. You add good olive oil. That is essentially the whole recipe. The technique is nearly invisible because the ingredients carry everything.
This spread has been made in Provence for centuries, long before anyone called it tapenade (the word comes from tapeno, Provençal for caper). Fishermen and farmers ate it smeared on bread, and so should you. Every meal is a meaningful choice. When you buy olives cured by someone who cares, when you seek out capers packed in salt rather than vinegar, you are voting for a food system worth preserving.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
pitted black olives
Quantity
1 cup (about 6 ounces)
preferably Niçoise or Kalamata
capers
Quantity
3 tablespoons
drained and rinsed
anchovy fillets
Quantity
4
packed in oil, drained
garlic clove
Quantity
1 small
fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Quantity
1 teaspoon
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup, plus more for serving
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
crusty bread
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| pitted black olivespreferably Niçoise or Kalamata | 1 cup (about 6 ounces) |
| capersdrained and rinsed | 3 tablespoons |
| anchovy filletspacked in oil, drained | 4 |
| garlic clove | 1 small |
| fresh thyme leaves (optional) | 1 teaspoon |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup, plus more for serving |
| fresh lemon juice | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| crusty bread | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Mortar and pestle (preferred) or food processor
- •Small strainer
- •Rubber spatula
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the olives
If your olives still have pits, remove them by pressing each olive firmly with the flat side of a knife until the pit pops free. Taste one. Good olives should be briny and rich, with a slight fruity bitterness. If they taste tinny or flat, seek better olives. The tapenade can only be as good as what goes into it.
Oil-cured olives have the deepest flavor. Brine-cured are more mild. Either works, but know what you are starting with. - 2
Rinse the capers
Place the capers in a small strainer and rinse under cold water. If using salt-packed capers, soak them in cold water for ten minutes first, then rinse. This removes excess salt without washing away flavor. Pat them dry. Capers should add pops of brightness, not a salt bomb.
- 3
Pound or pulse the base
If you have a mortar and pestle, use it. Drop in the garlic and pound to a paste. Add the anchovies and capers, crushing until no large pieces remain. Add the olives in batches, pounding until you have a rough, textured spread. The mortar gives you control over the final texture, and the slow process releases oils that a blade cannot.
A food processor works if you pulse carefully. Five or six short pulses, scraping down the sides between each. Stop before it becomes baby food. Texture matters here. - 4
Add oil and season
Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, stirring or pounding to incorporate. The oil should loosen the paste and give it sheen, not make it greasy. Add the thyme if using, the lemon juice, and several grinds of black pepper. Taste. The anchovies and capers provide salt, so you likely will not need more. Adjust the lemon if you want brightness.
- 5
Rest and serve
Transfer to a bowl and let the tapenade sit at room temperature for at least fifteen minutes before serving. The flavors need time to marry. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, and serve with thick slices of crusty bread. The bread should be good enough to eat on its own. The tapenade will make it unforgettable.
Tapenade improves overnight. The second day is often better than the first.
Chef Tips
- •Buy olives from a market where you can taste before purchasing. The difference between good olives and exceptional ones is the difference between a nice spread and a revelation.
- •Salt-packed capers from Pantelleria have an aliveness that brined capers cannot match. Soak them well, but seek them out if you can.
- •Good anchovies should smell like the sea, not like a fish gone wrong. Spanish or Italian anchovies packed in olive oil are worth the extra cost.
- •Spread tapenade on crostini, toss it with warm pasta, spoon it over grilled fish, or stir a bit into scrambled eggs. It is endlessly useful.
- •Pair with a chilled rosé from Provence or a crisp white with mineral notes. The wine should be as honest as the food.
Advance Preparation
- •Tapenade keeps refrigerated in a jar for up to two weeks. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and top with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation.
- •Bring to room temperature before serving. Cold tapenade mutes the flavors and stiffens the texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 23g)
Calories
65 calories
Total Fat
7 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
1 mg
Sodium
300 mg
Total Carbohydrates
1 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
1 g
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