WetLeather Recipe Database - food for bikers

Name:	Mushroom Tapenade	Contributor:	Roger Leroux
Description:	Mushroom Tapenade	Posted:	2005-12-12
Key words:	spicy, spread, mushrooms	Category:	Appetizers
ID:	695	Updated:	2006-04-02 14:57:23
Ingredients:	1 lb of mushrooms 1 14-oz can of black olives, drained 8 anchovy fillets 4 cloves garlic 1 Tbsp capers herbs (see notes) salt pepper olive oil
Preparation:	Preparation... 0. Preheat oven to a toasty 400F. 1. Toss all your (preferably wrinkly) mushrooms into a plastic bag. Add about a quarter cup of olive oil, a big pinch of salt, and the herb you've picked in as well. Shake until the 'shrooms are nicely coated. 2. Pour mushrooms onto a baking sheet that you've lined with tinfoil to make cleanup easier. Spread out into an even layer and then roast 'em for 20 minutes (the fresher they are, the longer you need to roast them to get rid of moisture). They're done when they're mildly leathery. 3. While mushrooms are roasting, peel your garlic, drain your olives, and get your anchovies and capers ready. 4. Once mushrooms are nice and roasted, take them out of the oven and let them cool [you can of course just transfer them directly to the food processor]. 5. Once cooled, put them into the food processor. 6. Add all other ingredients. 7. Puree in your food processor. Add olive oil in a steady drizzle until the desired look and consistency is achieved. I'll note here that you don't need a LOT of oil - in my experience half a cup is about as much as you'd ever need, but your mileage may vary. 8. Taste. Add more salt/pepper to suit and pulse to combine.
Notes:	Notes on indredients... 1. For the mushrooms, the ones you've forgotten about for a week in the crisper that are starting to go a little wrinkly are perfect for this recipe. Indeed, this is the kind of recipe made for them. Fresh ones work fine too. 2. You can use any kind of olives you like of course, but this tapenade really appeals to those who don't care for olives much, so using inexpensive canned ones is just fine. 3. Use good anchovy fillets, the kind you get at the Italian deli in a jar packed in olive oil that have to be kept refrigerated. If you're going to use the extra fishy tinned ones, reduce the quantity. 4. Garlic good. 'Nuff said. 5. I've always used brined capers. I expect the salt cured ones would work fine, but then make sure you reduce the amount of salt you put into the recipe. 6. HERBS! This is one of those recipes where you get to say "today's lucky ingredient is...". The original called for rosemary, but I prefer thyme. How much to use? Well, I prefer a subtle flavour so I use about 1/2 a teaspoon of dried or a small sprig of fresh. Rosemary does work very nicely, thyme works exceptionally well, and I expect that oregano or marjoram would work too. 7. Salt - the olives will have some salt, but you'll probably need to add some. To taste! 8. Pepper - I like the flavour a good dose of black pepper give to this. 9. Olive oil - use good stuff. You'll need some, but how much total will depend. See preparation. Goes incredibly well on any kind of crispbread, crackers, baguette, etc. This tapenade is very tasty - the primary flavour you get is mushroom. For the record, I love olive tapenade (both black and green), but most people I know don't (or won't try that strange black substance on the snack table). My wife loves this stuff and she doesn't like olives, anchovies, or capers on their own.
Equipment:	Food processor.