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Olive Tapenade

Name: Olive Tapenade
Yield: Approximately 1.2 kg
Ingredients: 600 g Kalamata olives, pitted; 300 g Green olives, pitted; 80 g Capers, drained; 40 g Anchovy fillets; 2 each Preserved lemons, flesh removed, rind finely diced; 2 each Garlic, whole heads, roasted; 20 g Fresh parsley; 10 g Fresh oregano; 5 g Fresh thyme leaves; 30 ml White grape vinegar; juice of 1 Lemon; 180 ml Extra virgin olive oil; Freshly cracked black pepper; only if required Sea salt

Kalamata and green olives pulsed with roasted garlic, capers, anchovy and preserved lemon.

Rich and rustic rather than smooth. The garlic is roasted whole and squeezed out, which is where the sweetness under the brine comes from.

Approximately 1.2 kg

Cook this

Pulse it, do not purée it. The balance to aim for is salty, briny, bright and herbaceous, with the roasted garlic bringing a slight sweetness underneath.
Chef Paul Dukai

Ingredients

The base

Kalamata olives, pitted600 g
Green olives, pitted300 g
Capers, drained80 g
Anchovy fillets40 g
Preserved lemons, flesh removed, rind finely diced2 each

Aromatics

Garlic, whole heads, roasted2 each
Fresh parsley20 g
Fresh oregano10 g
Fresh thyme leaves5 g

Acidity and fat

White grape vinegar30 ml
Lemonjuice of 1
Extra virgin olive oil180 ml
Freshly cracked black pepper
Sea saltonly if required

Method

The roasted garlic

Cut the garlic heads horizontally, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil.
Roast at 170°C for 45 minutes, then cool completely and squeeze out the cloves.

The tapenade

Put the Kalamata olives, green olives, capers, anchovies, roasted garlic and preserved lemon into the food processor and pulse several times. Do not purée: you want texture.
Add the parsley, oregano and thyme and pulse briefly.
Add the white grape vinegar and lemon juice and pulse once or twice.
With the machine running slowly, add the olive oil in a thin stream. It should stay coarse and rustic.
Taste and adjust.

Chef’s notes

A richer version, from the same source: fold through 50 g of finely diced semi-dried tomatoes and 20 g of toasted pine nuts just before service, for texture and sweetness.

Keeping

DUKAI storage guidance

Refrigerate at 5°C or below in a sealed container with a film of olive oil over the surface, and use within a week. The olives, capers and anchovy are all preserved, but the fresh herbs and roasted garlic are not, which is what sets the limit.

Allergens and diet

Fish, anchovy. Sulphites, from the vinegar.

Last refined · September 2026