• 300gr/10 ½oz black olives such as Nyons, drained and pitted
• 50gr/2oz capers
• 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper

Peel the garlic clove and chop finely. Rinse and dry the capers. Put the fillets dry and chop them finely. Grind the olives together with the capers, anchovies, and garlic, in a mortar. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and beat vigorously until you have a smooth paste.

An alternative is to place all the ingredients except the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and season with pepper. Process until the mixture forms a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly add the olive oil until it has become a thick, spreadable paste. The mixture should not be creamy. Pour into sterilized jar, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top and seal. Can be stored several months in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

The French word “tapenade” comes from the Provençal “tapeno” which means “capers”. The exact translation of “tapenade” is “caper sauce”. This olive-caper-and-anchovie paste, usually served on toast as an appetizer, has a strong Mediterranian flavor. Place in a bowl and use as a spread for crudités, crackers, crostini or breadsticks. It can also be used as a basting paste for fowl or beef, or as a stuffing for turkey.