Tap into France with tapenade and socca
Classic olive spread delicious when served with crepes and goat’s cheese as hors d’oeuvre
Tapenade caught my attention last fall in an episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror. In the dystopian show, a character played by Bryce Dallas Howard makes the French olive spread in the first of many desperate attempts for social media likes.
In that fictional, but eerily familiar world, people use their phones to rate each other on a five-star scale after every interaction and she hoped the tapenade would improve her rating by giving her a look of sophistication.
The olive spread was presented as something trendy, something “haute cuisine,” suggesting its reputation in the non-fictional world — but it’s not in tapenade’s tradition.
It’s a simple hors d’oeuvre with its origins in rural Provence, the southeastern region of France, and one of the many “quintessential” dishes included in Georgeanne Brennan’s new cookbook La Vie Rustic about the “enduring traditions” of French country living. The name tapenade comes from tapeneï, the word for the caper plant in the Provencal dialect Occitan, according to scholars, though olives are the main ingredient of the dish today.
Tapenade might not impress your Francophone followers, but it could earn you a few likes this side of the Atlantic.
The book: Brennan, who divides her time between a home in Provence and her small farm in Northern California, splits La Vie Rustic into five parts — “The Potager” (French for vegetable garden), “The Orchard,” “The Barnyard,” “The Forest & Field” and “The Water” — tracing French culture through the landscapes of rural living. The quote: “Olives are at the heart and soul of life in southern France. Everyone who can has at least one or two olive trees.”
The tester: Growing up, I never put anything besides Aunt Jemima on my crepes. The thought of eating them with tapenade wouldn’t have appealed to my younger self, who had no idea what it was. But I’m an adult now.
Au revoir, syrup? Probably not, but tapenade is a deliciously salty alternative.
Recipes I’m dying to make: Mulberry & Pistachio Tart, Crème Brûlée with Black Truffles, Rabbit Terrine, Cherry Chutney with Duck Breast and French-Style Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Brennan’s variation of the croque monsieur with roasted red peppers instead of ham.
Classic tapenade and socca
Star Tested You can experiment with tapenade by adding nuts, such as walnut or pine, and by using different olive varieties if desired. Tapenade is often served with crackers, bread, vegetables or even used to stuff poultry, but cookbook author Brennan likes to serve it with socca, the chickpeaflour crepes of Nice, France, and a round of soft goat cheese. For socca: 1 cup (250 mL) chickpea flour 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) freshly ground pepper 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt 1 cup (250 mL) warm water, about 105 F (40 C) 4 tbsp (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed For tapenade: 1 cup (250 mL) pitted oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped 1 cup (250 mL) pitted brine-cured green olives, coarsely chopped 2 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and coarsely chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) capers 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) fresh thyme leaves 2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed To make socca, using a sifter or strainer and medium bowl, sift chickpea flour into the bowl. Whisk in pepper and salt. Slowly pour in warm water, mixing batter until there are no lumps. Whisk in 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil.
If time allows, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, overnight or up to two days to allow the batter to further thicken.
To make tapenade, add olives, anchovies, capers and thyme to food processor or blender.
Process until chopped, about 1-2 minutes.
With motor running, slowly drizzle in 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil and process until stiff paste forms. Add more oil if needed to achieve good spreading consistency.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to three days.
To cook socca, in 8- or 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil. Stir batter well and pour just enough into pan to thinly coat bottom.
Cook until edges brown and curl slightly, about 2 minutes. The consistency should be similar to traditional crepes, but sturdier. Flip and repeat on other side. Transfer to paper towel-lined platter to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
Add more oil to pan as needed to prevent sticking.
Serve warm crepes, whole or torn into pieces, with tapenade and round of soft goat cheese.
Makes 4 to 6 servings. jforani@thestar.ca