Tapenade

"This Provençal favourite is the perfect drinking companion, as it's a combination of the saltiest ingredients you could imagine – great with a delicate, pale pink local rosé, yes, but also an unimpeachable pairing with a gin and tonic or, of course, a pastis." Felicity Cloake

I have Just made some tapenade which I do every now and then. This time it was Richard Olney's recipe in my Provence the Beautiful Cookbook. Even though I am fasting I had a quick taste just to check and I have to say it has a really addictive taste. You just want more.

I made it because tomorrow we have friends for lunch. The main dish is an Elizabeth David recipe for roast pork with oranges, and I was pondering on what to do for a first course. My 'difficult' friend is in the group and so I need to be a bit careful. Initially I found a fairly complicated recipe for a tomato salad that sat on a tapenade with mozzarella and I thought I would do this. But it was complicated - it included drying olives and making pesto, and also the tomatoes I have at the moment are merely supermarket tomatoes. So then I thought I might do the provençale roast tomatoes - those with herbs and garlic on top, and I would substitute the parsley and garlic topping with tapenade. However, too much garlic in the tapenade for my friend. So finally I have decided on a compromise some tomatoes with tapenade and some with the parsley and breadcrumb topping, possibly served with the mozzarella, for I did buy some. I'll get some garlic chives, or just ordinary chives to replace the garlic.

Anyway back to tapenade. The name comes from the Provençal word tapeno which means caper - for the other main ingredient of tapenade, other than olives, is capers. Apparently back in ancient Greece, capers were imported in large amphora filled with olive oil. Over time the capers went mushy and flavoured with olives. From this came a sauce which in later times had vinegar added. However, according to many, including Elizabeth David the name tapenade was not used until 1880!

"It has a kind of ancient, powerful flavour about it, as if it were something which might perhaps have been eaten by the Romans. Well, it was invented less that a hundred years ago by the chef at the Maison Dorée in Marseille, although it must certainly have been based on some already existing sauce." Elizabeth David

Interestingly if you look at all the French sites talking about the origins of tapenade, they do all seem to go for this story. I suspect that it may well have been the case that this was the first time the name tapenade was used, but I bet the sauce itself had been used for centuries. It's just so Provençal. Various authors also claimed that it was really Italian but I cannot think of a sauce like this in Italy. It just seems so quintessentially Provençal to me.

Such a classic dish has, of course, many variations. The constants are olives, capers, and olive oil. They even argue over whether the olives should be black or green. I went for a mix because that is what I had.

Other additions are anchovies - fairly common, thyme - also fairly common, brandy - less so, tuna - even less so, lemon juice - fairly common and mustard - not very common at all, garlic - occasionally. I also saw chilli in one recipe and hard-boiled egg in another. As to quantities the proportion of olives to capers ranges from equal to just a few capers. So I suspect this is a matter of personal taste.

Here are three different recipes from the 'oldies' Robert Carrier, Elizabeth David and Richard Olney.

Elizabeth David - "the ingredients are 24 stoned black olives, 8 anchovy fillets, 2 heaped tablespoons of capers, 2 oz. of tunny fish, olive oil and lemon juice.

Pound all the solid ingredients together into a thick purée. Add the olive oil (about a coffee cupful, after-dinner size) gradually, as for mayonnaise, then squeeze in a little lemon juice. It is an improvement also to add a few drops of cognac or other spirit, and sometimes a little mustard is included in the seasoning. No salt of course."

Robert Carrier - "50g stoned ripe olives in oil, 25g anchovy fillets in oil, 25g tuna fish in oil, 50g capers, Dijon mustard, 60ml olive oil, cognac, ground black pepper, hard-boiled eggs or red peppers, chopped (optional)

In a mortar, pound the stoned ripe olives, anchovy fillets and tuna fish to a smooth paste with the capers and Dijon mustard (to taste)., adding the olive oil gradually as you would for a mayonnaise. Season to taste with cognac and freshly ground black pepper and force the mixture through fine sieve."

I am not going to push it through a sieve, and I think Felicity Cloake in her usual thorough way, also thought this a bad idea. Texture in this sauce is good. And interestingly the two 'oldies' seem to go for the more is more option by adding all the possible ingredients, more or less.

Richard Olney is a bit more pared back and this is the one I chose today, though I did mix black and green olives, and I was lazy and did it all in the food processor.

"1 2/3 cups Greek-style black olives, pitted, 1/2 cup capers, rinsed and well drained, 3 salted anchovies, rinsed and filleted (I forgot to rinse them), pinch of Provençal mixed dried herbs, pinch of coarse salt (I did not add this), freshly ground black pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 4-5 tablespoons olive oil."

Combine the olives, capers and anchovies in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and purée. In a mortar pound together the herbs, salt and a generous grind of pepper and the garlic, to form a paste. Add the olive mixture and work together, turning the pestle and adding olive oil a little at a time until the mixture is the consistency of a thin paste."

Like I said I cheated and did it all in the food processor and mine is more chunky than a thin paste.

But it tasted good. I say go for it - vary the proportions as you wish and add the 'extras' as you fancy. I have made it with tuna before I know. Can't remember adding mustard but I may have done.

And for a more modern touch have a look at Maggie Beer's Olive tapénade with red wine vinegar. She adds some orange zest as well as the vinegar.

And then what can you do with it? Well the most obvious is to put it on some toast, or biscuits and just eat it - with a glass of wine. And as I say, I'm planning to semi-stuff some halved tomatoes with it and bake. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had some of the most interesting suggestions I found:

• Push under the skin of a chicken before roasting it.

• Mix a few tablespoons with breadcrumbs and spread over breast of lamb before rolling and roasting.

• Serve on crostini with some crumbled soft goat's cheese.

• Toss with just-cooked potatoes as a salad to go with grilled sardines.

• Brush over a sheet of bought puff pastry, roll up, cut into thin rounds and bake at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 12 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve as a nibble with drinks

So we are back to the drinks. Now I wonder if we have some rosé to serve with it. Must check that tomorrow morning.