Tapenade of Sun-dried Tomatoes, Olives and Basil

Tapenade, that strong gutsy pâté of minced olives, is converted into something more elegant and aristocratic if you replace half the amount of olives with sun-dried tomatoes. Serve it with ciabatta warm from the oven, or baked croutons brushed with oil and garlic. Alternatively, you can use the amount in this recipe as a sauce for pasta for 3-4 people, adding 2 more tablespoons of the tomato oil. Stir this in and warm the tapenade through before putting it on the hot pasta.

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  Makes ¾ pint (425 ml), serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 x 285 g jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained, but reserve the oil
6 oz (175 g) pitted black olives in brine, drained and rinsed
¾ oz (20 g) fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon green peppercorns in brine, rinsed and drained (36 peppercorns)
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled
1 x 50 g tin anchovies including the oil
4 oz (110 g) capers, drained and pressed between double layers of absorbent kitchen paper
freshly milled black pepper

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Method

Simply put everything into a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato oil. Switch the motor on, but use the pulse action, because if you process it too much it goes to a purée. What you need to aim for is a texture like coarse gravel and sand. Add a third tablespoon of the reserved tomato oil if it looks too stiff. Pack the tapenade into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill, but remember to allow it to come back to room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.
_This recipe first appeared in Sainsbury’s Magazine (Oct 1993)._

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