Quick and Easy

Black Olive Tapenade Topped

Summary:

Black olives and almonds provide just the right accent for this impressive dish.

Ingredients:

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 slice white bread
• 4 salmon fillets, skin off and pin bones removed, or steaks, 6 to 7 ounces each, about 1-inch thick
• 1 lemon
• ¾ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, such as kalamata (10 ounces with pits)
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons drained, rinsed capers
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 anchovy fillets
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour ¼ cup cold water over bread and set aside to soak. Place salmon in a single layer in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cut 4 thin slices from lemon and set the rest aside.
• For the tapenade, in a food processor, add olives, almonds, capers, garlic, and anchovies. Squeeze bread in your hands to extract the water, tear in thirds, and add to processor. Using the pulse button, coarsely chop the ingredients. With the machine running, slowly add oil until tapenade is a slightly chunky, stiff sauce. Add the juice from the remaining lemon and pepper to taste. Spread 2 tablespoons of tapenade over the top of each piece of fish and top with a lemon slice. You can serve the remaining tapenade with the salmon or refrigerate the tapenade for up to a week.
• Bake salmon, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes until the flesh of the salmon just begins to flake at the nudge of a fork.

Shortcut

• You can substitute ready-made green or black olive spread for this tapenade. You'll need about ½ cup.
• Microwave the salmon, if desired. Use a microwavable dish; cover with plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to vent. Cook 3 minutes on high, rotate dish, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. For dinner for one, cook a single portion for 2 minutes.

Yield:

6

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