Lucy Young's Fish Tapenade

It all looks a little slapdash, I know. A smeared knife, a half-empty ramekin. You can't see the grainy crackers in the background that would give this some context and now you're probably wondering what exactly we're looking at here, anyway. We plowed through that thing so quickly that by the time it registered that I should probably be documenting it for your sakes, it was half-eaten. Would you believe me if I told you that it was the best part of an already delicious Easter lunch?

It's hard to get better than rosemary-scented roasted lamb, with all its crusty pockets and yieldingly tender meat. It's even harder to best tiny boiled potatoes in their delicate jackets, glistening ever so slightly with a thin coating of freshly melting butter and the grassy flavor of minced parsley. It's practically impossible to top the first asparagus of the season, blistered in spots from a quick run in the oven. Should I mention that we even ended things with a billowing, marshmallowy cheesecake? (More on that next time.)

And yet it was all we could do to keep from making this fish tapenade our lunch.

Now, excuse me, but I have to have a word with some of my readers who are giving that first line of ingredients the hairy eyeball, their fingers hovering over their mouse pad, just itching to click away in a flash when the thought of those tiny little fillets gets to be a bit too much for them. I know I've said this before, but I really, really promise you that if you can get over your issues with handling the little suckers, this tapenade doesn't taste fishy in that unpleasant way that I know you're thinking it might. It's smooth and airy and has pleasant depth of flavor. It's subtle, if you can believe it, and creamy and has just the right amount of acidity and balance. Ooh, it's so so good. I would hate for you to miss out on it just because you think you hate anchovies.

(Now, that might be the most condescending thing I've ever written. Apologies, all. It's not really meant that way. It's just that I've seen, with my very own eyes, anchovy-haters eat things with anchovies in them and freak out with the deliciousness of what they're eating, and so I'd like to help, that's all.)

I know, if you want, why don't you use this as a gateway to the world of anchovies? Add just one or two to start. Blitz it up and have a quick taste. It needs a little something more, doesn't it? So add a few more. Now you're up to four. Squeeze some more lemon in there, blitz, and taste it again. If you think you've had enough, stop there. If you're surprising yourself by thinking that the tapenade could use a little more oomph, then throw a few more anchovies into the food processor and let down your hair, you wild one.

Would I lead you astray? You know I wouldn't.

Fish Tapenade
Serves 8-10 as an hors d'oeuvre

Note: Gemma, my friend and upstairs neighbor, is the source of this recipe. She's a nutritionist and thinks the tapenade might be worth attempting without the butter, if anyone is into that kind of experimentation.

8 oil-packed anchovies, drained
1 can (6 ounces) chunk light tuna
7 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
Juice of 1 lemon
12 pitted black olives, halved
1 tablespoon snipped chives, plus more for garnish
Black pepper to taste

1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon into a serving dish and cover with plastic wrap.

2. Chill the tapenade in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve, garnished with snipped chives.

Comments

[aforkfulofspaghetti]

Looks and sounds terrific to me!

[David]

capers!

[Victoria]

This sounds perfect. I would NEVER leave out the butter, and I won't when I make it.

[shelley (s'kat)]

Anchovies AND tuna? Sign me up, please!

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

For those who aren't crazy about anchovies from the tin or jar, I really recommend anchovy paste in a tube. All of the flavor, without the texture issues.

[EB]

Totally not anchovy-phobic and of course you would never lead us astray... but the texture? It looks more moussey-than tapenadey Just what is the texture?

[Luisa]

Lydia - I really do not dig that anchovy-in-a-tube stuff. The taste and texture, oy, I don't know.

EB - it is rather mousse-y. It's far lighter and smoother than your regular chunky rillettes, but not entirely aerated like a mousse. So somewhere in between. A tapenade! :)

[Andrea]

I made something very similar to this at a New Year's get-together! yumm.

[susan in HK]

Yum. I love anchovies and sneak them into things all the time! Anchovy haters never realise they're there!

[moira]

I want to weigh in on the blessings of undiscovered anchovies and mention that if you have not tasted Goya brand anchovy stuffed green olives(available in your local grocery store) you are missing one of anchovies' great moments!! They are sublime!

[Sarah]

Wow! This pate sounds amazing. I was an anchovy-phobe until I had Zuni Cafe's house cured anchovies in San Francisco. I still have to disguise anchovies for my husband, though, and this sounds perfect. I can't wait to try it!

I still remember once when he told me not to put anchovy in his Ceasar salad, but then he wouldn't eat it because it didn't taste right. So, I'm all for fighting anchovy prejudices.

[Susan in VT]

This stuff is delicious! I made it by hand (no food processor) and used scallions and parsley (the chives are under 2 feet of snow here). The family finds it too strong, but I am very happy they are letting me have it all.
The kalamata olives I used kind of took over -- another time I might try using 6-8 instead of 12. Thanks for another great recipe!

[margaret]

I made this tapenade following the recipe exactly last night and while I am really really anti-lowfat, I have to say that I think it would have been better without the butter. I tasted as I went along and it was majorly delicious before I added the butter. The butter gave it a greasy taste.

[Josh Baugher]

I made this for the second time yesterday and everyone loved it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbaugher/2579819809/