Possibly the ugliest food ever invented, this recipe originated in France about a hundred years ago. It takes the strongest tasting ingredients one can think of, and combines them to make a sublime spread or dip; a symphony of Mediterranean flavours¹.

The name comes from the Spanish for 'caper'. It's best of all spread on ciabatta, topped with some feta cheese and toasted lightly under the grill, although some maintain that it makes the perfect accompaniment to a hard-boiled egg.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 225g Pitted black olives (tinned and drained will do, but fresh are better²)
• About 8 - 12 anchovy fillets (or 2tbsp anchovy paste)
• 2 tablespoons Capers
• Lemon juice
• Fresh black pepper
• Olive oil
• Brandy (optional)

Method

• Place the olives, anchovies and capers into a food processor, and whizz until coarsely chopped. Then dribble in the olive oil until a fairly sloppy paste is obtained. Add a squirt of lemon juice, and some freshly ground black pepper.

• If you want to, add brandy. The flavour will probably be strong enough already, but if your taste buds are on their way out then a dessert spoon or two won't hurt.

This appalling-looking brownish-black paste will keep for about four days in the fridge (four hours is generous, given how good it tastes). Variations involve chucking in some chopped garlic, and rosemary and thyme³. The use of anchovy paste tends to give a smoother, more 'integrated' flavour to this dish. True tapenade is not cheap to make, but beware of adulterated variations of this recipe that mess about with the Holy Trinity of olives, anchovies and capers.