NOTE FROM THE TEST KITCHEN The tapenade must be refrigerated for at least 18 hours before serving. It’s important to use untoasted pine nuts in this recipe so that they provide creaminess but little flavor of their own. We prefer the rich flavor of kalamata olives, but any high-quality brine-cured black olive, such as niçoise, Sicilian, or Greek, can be substituted. Do not substitute brine-cured olives for the salt-cured olives. Serve the tapenade as a spread with sliced crusty bread or as a dip with raw vegetables.
MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 CUPS
1. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process pine nuts until reduced to paste that clings to walls and avoids blade, about 20 seconds. Scrape down bowl to redistribute paste and process until paste again clings to walls and avoids blade, about 5 seconds. Repeat scraping and processing once more (pine nuts should form mostly smooth, tahini-like paste).
2. Scrape down bowl to redistribute paste and add olives, capers, anchovies, mustard, and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, about 15 pulses, scraping down bowl halfway through pulsing. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and stir in oil until well combined.
3. Transfer to container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 18 hours or up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature and stir thoroughly before serving.
*****NOTE FROM THE TEST KITCHEN The tapenade must be refrigerated for at least 18 hours before serving. It’s important to use untoasted pine nuts in this recipe so that they provide creaminess but little flavor of their own. We prefer the rich flavor of kalamata olives, but any high-quality brine-cured black olive, such as niçoise, Sicilian, or Greek, can be substituted. Do not substitute brine-cured olives for the salt-cured olives. Serve the tapenade as a spread with sliced crusty bread or as a dip with raw vegetables.*****
TECHNIQUES
A Nutty Solution to Saltiness
Given that tapenade is built on olives, capers, and anchovies, it can be tricky to keep the spread’s saltiness in check. We adjusted ingredient ratios and rinsed away excess salt before we found our real fix in an Italian pesto–inspired trick: grinding pine nuts into paste. The mild-flavored (untoasted) nuts, which, like the other tapenade ingredients, are a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, temper the saltiness without adding much distracting flavor of their own.
PILE OF PINE NUTS:
Adding pine nuts (ground first) to the tapenade tames its saltiness.
Tapping into Two Kinds of Olives
The two common olive-curing methods affect the flavor of the fruit (and our tapenade) very differently.
THREE TO ONE: For a balanced tapenade, we use a 3:1 ratio of punchy brine-cured olives to the richer salt-cured kind.
BRINE-CURED: TANGY
Brine-cured black olives (made with mature fruit) undergo natural fermentation over a period of months in a strong salt brine, much like naturally fermented pickles. During fermentation, sugars in the fruit convert into acetic and lactic acid, providing the characteristic sour flavor.
SALT-CURED: EARTHY
Salt-cured black olives (often misleadingly labeled oil-cured) are packed in salt when fully ripe, left to dehydrate and soften over a month or two, and then briefly plumped in oil. The intensely flavored results have soft flesh, little acidity, and a good bit of their original bitterness.
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (295g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 1 Servings | ||
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Calories: 903 | ||
Calories from Fat: 851 (94%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 94.5g | 126 % | |
Saturated Fat 11.7g | 58 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 60.7g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 16.9g | ||
Cholesterol 0mg | 0 % | |
Sodium 1873.5mg | 65 % | |
Potassium 202.9mg | 5 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 17.5g | 5 % | |
Dietary Fiber 7.8g | 31 % | |
Sugars, other 9.7g | ||
Protein 6g | 9 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 903
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