Tapenade

(Makes about 500 g)

This rich, piquant paste made with capers, called ‘tapéno’ in Provencal dialect, black olives and olive oil is delicious served with freshly baked or toasted Maltese bread. Try mixing it with bread crumbs and spreading over a rack of lamb before roasting it, or on a fillet of fish before grilling it.

250 g capers, well rinsed
250 g pitted black olives
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Blend the capers and olives with half the olive oil to a not-too-fine mixture in the food processor. Spoon into small sterilised jars, ensuring there are no air pockets, and fill to within about 1 cm of the top of the jars.

Spoon a little olive oil on top, which will seal the mixture, and put the jar lids on. The tapenade will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

For longer keeping, add all the olive oil when blending the capers and olives then process the jars in a water bath; 125 g jars will need only 15 minutes processing.