I’m always looking for something quick, easy and delicious to serve with cocktails. As I’ve mentioned in my post on tips for a successful cocktail hour, I like to keep the food simple and serve the old cocktail snack trinity of chips, olives and nuts and just One More Thing.
This delicious tapenade is my new favorite One More Thing. Don’t be put off by the canned tuna — this hors d’oeuvre has a fresh and sophisticated flavor. The rich tuna, salty olives, bright citrus and fresh basil balance each other nicely, and the butter brings some luxury to the texture. If you have preserved lemon, adding a bit brings another almost exotic dimension to the flavor, but the dish also works well without it. (I’m a great proponent of preserved lemon — for more about this remarkable ingredient, see this post.) This is also an easy dish to make: all of the ingredients are available at almost any supermarket, and you can whip it up in just a few minutes.
Recipe
(adapted from Patricia Wells at Home in Provence by Patricia Wells)
Ingredients
1 can good tuna packed in oil, drained (about 6 1/2 oz or 190g)
4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (150g) good green olives (such as Picholine or Lucques), pitted and drained
Grated zest of 1 lemon, blanched and refreshed in cold water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped preserved lemon, peel only, rinsed (optional)
About 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Instructions
1. Flake the tuna from the can into the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients.
2. Process just until blended. (The mixture should remain slightly coarse — don’t puree into a paste.) Taste for seasoning.
Serve at room temperature with crackers or spread on toasted baguette slices and garnish with a little chopped basil for a slightly more elegant (and labor-intensive) presentation.
The tapenade will keep well in the refrigerator for at least three days.
