The tapenade sauce is a thick paste of olives and olives, which is often prepared in Provence. This is another masterpiece of French cuisine, which has no analogues. Despite the uniqueness, the tapenade sauce is prepared according to different recipes. Most often it includes olives or olives, anchovies, capers, olive oil and lemon juice. Other ingredients may be included, such as tuna, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes. At first glance, it may seem that the main component of the tapenade paste is olives, as they are used to make it most often, giving it a rich color and an oily taste. However, in fact, they don’t give uniqueness to the sauce, but capers, after whom it got its name (the name of the capers in Provencal dialect is consonant with the name of the sauce). So do not be surprised if you find a recipe that does not include the use of olives - sometimes it is acceptable to replace them with other ingredients.
Cooking Features
The recipe for a tapenade sauce, in appearance resembling black vegetable caviar, is quite simple. The difficulty is only in getting the right ingredients. However, if you know that anchovies are like two drops like a familiar and cheap hamsa for all of us, there will be no problems. Capers can be purchased at most large supermarkets, although they are not cheap. The advice of experienced cooks will help you to get a perfect result.
- Traditionally, all the ingredients that make up the sauce are ground in a mortar, which makes it resemble pasta. However, the taste of the sauce will not change if the products are crushed with a blender. And the appearance of the sauce will only benefit from this.
- If you want to get a sauce of a thicker consistency, finely chop the products in its composition with a knife. For a thinner consistency, add more oil by mixing it with lemon juice.
- The sauce will be even tastier if you add spices and spices to it. You can put them to your liking, but it is necessary to know the measure so that the seasonings do not interrupt the soft and oily taste of the sauce itself.
- In Provence, tapenade sauce is made from homemade salted olives. However, not all of our compatriots have such reserves. For this reason, olives are most often used canned. Other products can also be used as canned food.
Tapenade sauce can be served to salads, fish and meat dishes, spread on sandwiches. The French also stuffed them with fish - it turns out very tasty.
Classic tapenade sauce recipe
Composition:
- olives without stones - 0, 25 kg;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- anchovy fillets - 50 g;
- capers - 60 g;
- lemon juice - 5 ml;
- olive oil - 60 ml;
- black ground pepper - a pinch.
Method of preparation:
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Separate anchovy fillets (can be replaced with salted sprat).
- Fold olives, anchovies, garlic and capers into the blender bowl. Pour olive oil there.
- Chop the products thoroughly with a blender, put them in a bowl.
- Add pepper and lemon juice, mix thoroughly.
The tapenade sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and used as needed. It is often served instead of a side dish of hard-boiled eggs or simply spread on toasted bread. So having prepared such a sauce, you will not wrestle with what to do for breakfast.
Canned tuna tapenade sauce
Composition:
- pitted olives - 100 g;
- pitted olives - 0, 2 kg;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- anchovy fillets - 50 g;
- capers - 60 g;
- canned tuna - 150 g;
- olive oil - 100 ml;
- lemon juice - 20 ml;
- fresh basil - 25 g.
Method of preparation:
- Mash tuna canned food with a fork, put it in a blender bowl.
- Add olives and olives to the tuna, as well as anchovy fillets and capers.
- Crush blender products.
- Without taking the mass out of the blender, add basil leaves, pour in oil and juice.
- Beat the whole blender to get a uniform consistency.
The sauce is aromatic, tender and satisfying. It can be used to lay the buffet table. It will make delicious toasts, they can stuff eggs or tomatoes, or you can just fill them with tartlets.
Dried Tomatoes Tapenade Sauce
Composition:
- dried tomatoes - 100 g;
- pitted olives or olives - 100 g;
- capers - 40 g;
- anchovy fillets - 40 g;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- olive oil - 40 ml;
- lemon juice - 5 ml;
- dried basil, black ground pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- In a blender bowl, chop together the anchovies, capers and olives.
- Pour in lemon juice and butter, put a clove of garlic, cut into several pieces, and mix everything again, simultaneously chopping with a blender.
- Put the pasta from the blender into a bowl, add basil and pepper.
- Finely chop dried tomatoes with a knife and mix them with the sauce.
The tapenade sauce with dried tomatoes has a savory taste and looks appetizing. It can be served with vegetable salad as a sauce or as an independent snack. It goes well with fish and meat, boiled eggs. As a paste for sandwiches, it will also be good.
Provencal tapenade sauce is unusual, appetizing and very tasty. In cooking, it is used not only as a sauce, but also as a snack or pate. For example, sandwiches are often made with him. The classic sauce made from a distance resembles black caviar, so some even call it “poor caviar”. Although in fact it has a very noble and refined taste.
