Tapenade noire — Provençal black-olive, caper and anchovy paste
Tapenade noire is a Provençal olive paste in which black olives share the stage with capers and anchovies. The caper matters to the identity as much as the olive: the name itself is associated with the Provençal word for caper. That makes this a different preparation from a generic black-olive dip and certainly from hummus, which depends on chickpeas and tahini.
There is no cooking step. Success comes from managing water, salt and texture. Olives and capers are weighed after draining, anchovies are checked for stray bones, and the oil is measured because it stays in the finished paste. Running a processor continuously can turn the mixture slick and homogeneous; short pulses leave enough tiny olive pieces to give the spread character.
Salt is deliberately not added. Anchovies, olives and capers already carry substantial sodium, and the correct moment to judge seasoning is after all three are combined. A small amount of lemon brightens the paste without making it citrus-led. Once mixed, the fish-containing spread goes straight into a clean covered container and the refrigerator.
