Nigel Slater’s recipes for mussels, and for figs with tapenade | Food (2024)

Nigel Slater recipes

Courgettes and sumptuous seafood, and an olive paste you can eat anytime at all

Nigel Slater

Sun 10 Oct 2021 10.30 BST

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Much of the cooking in this kitchen is about dinner, or lunch perhaps, but it can also be about small delights, too – good things to eat before the main meal of the day or just for the fun of it.

On the table this week was a fragrant paste of green olives and preserved artichokes that we spread on slices cut from a herb loaf, and another of minted ricotta for eating with fruit. The latter was simple – the white, fresh cheese stirred through with chopped mint and parsley leaves and – for crunch – finely chopped, ice-crisp radishes. Something to pile into the open mouths of ripe, casually torn figs or a crisp new season’s pear.

I value recipes like these for their adaptability, but also for the fact that they are a step away from the everyday task of making something to eat. The addictive olive paste – I could eat it at any time of day – could also make a dressing for freshly cooked pappardelle or for spreading on to grilled lamb cutlets. The ricotta is also a stuffing for flatbread (I warm the slippers of dough on the griddle) or for dressing a salad of chicory, walnuts and crisp new season’s Worcester apples. You could use it as a spread, too, on rye bread, perhaps with curls of smoked trout.

I made a light main dish this week, too: a casual lunch of thinly sliced courgettes marinated in lemon and olive oil, capers and parsley, then tossed with tiny orange mussels fresh from the steamer. There isn’t really a mussel season as such, but my thoughts turn towards plump, sweet shellfish the moment summer is over. Prawns would have been a good fit here as well, or perhaps some clams or even rings of squid, their edges blackened from a few minutes over a scorching grill.

Mussels, courgettes and parsley

Leaving the thinnest shavings of courgette in the dressing – olive oil, lemon and capers – for half an hour will soften them. A little longer will not hurt. You could, if you wish, cook them instead. Pile the thin slices of courgette into a steamer or colander and place over a pan of boiling water for 5-8 minutes until tender. Alternatively, toss them in a pan with a splash of olive oil over a moderate heat until the courgettes are tender and translucent. Serves 2

courgettes 600g
parsley leaves a good handful
olive oil 3 tbsp
capers 1 tbsp
mussels 500g
white vermouth a splash

Wipe the courgettes, then use a vegetable peeler to take long shavings from them and drop them into a mixing bowl. Discard the seedy central core. Roughly chop the parsley leaves – you can leave them whole if they are small and tender – then add to the courgettes with the olive oil and capers. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside somewhere cool for a good half hour.

Scrub the mussels, remove any beards and check for broken or cracked shells. Discard any mussels that fail to close immediately when tapped on the side of the sink.

Put the mussels in a large deep pan over a moderate heat, pour in the vermouth and cover tightly with a lid. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the mussel shells have opened. Remove immediately from the heat, then pull the mussels from their shells. Drop the mussels into the courgettes and toss the ingredients gently together.

Serve on plates or in shallow bowls.

Figs with green olive artichoke tapenade

I have taken to keeping a jar of this aromatic, pale green paste in the fridge, stored in a screw-top jar. I use plain, stoned green olives here, but it is also worth trying with olives that have been marinated in lemon oil. (You can often find them at the deli counter.) The artichoke and olive tapenade will keep for several days, tightly covered, a little longer still if the surface is covered with olive oil. It makes a good dressing for pasta, too, though most of mine is spread in generous waves on to warm oatcakes or chewy sourdough baguettes. Enough for 4

For the tapenade:
artichokes 200g, bottled in oil
green olives 50g, stoned
parsley leaves 7g
lemon ½
olive oil 80ml

For the ricotta:
ricotta 200g
radishes 5
parsley leaves 5g
mint leaves 5g

To serve:
olive or rosemary bread or sourdough 8 small slices
figs 12 medium to large, ripe

Using a food processor, reduce the artichokes, green olives and parsley leaves to a coarse paste, adding the lemon juice and olive oil, and a grinding of black pepper as you go. Using a rubber spatula, transfer to a small serving bowl and refrigerate.

Put the ricotta in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the radishes, parsley leaves and mint and stir into the ricotta, slowly and carefully, with a little salt and black pepper. Set aside in the fridge until needed.

Toast the olive or rosemary bread (sourdough is good if you can’t find herb or olive breads), then serve with the olive paste and radish ricotta. Tear the figs open and place on a platter or board.

We aim to publish recipes for fish rated as sustainable by the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide

Follow Nigel on Twitter @NigelSlater

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Nigel Slater’s recipes for mussels, and for figs with tapenade | Food (2024)

FAQs

How do you use tapenade? ›

But there are other ways to serve olive tapenade, too! Try dotting it onto pizza, or slather it onto a sandwich. Spoon it over hard-boiled eggs for a snack or onto scrambled eggs for breakfast. You could also add a few dollops to a summer salad, like a Caprese salad or this zucchini salad, for a bold punch of flavor.

How long does opened tapenade last in the fridge? ›

Keep it stored in a covered container in the fridge and it will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. It would be a miracle if you managed to keep it that long though! It's way too delicious.

Why is tapenade good for you? ›

Together with garlic, a natural immune booster, and olive oil, which further enhances heart health and aids in nutrient absorption, olive tapenade becomes a powerhouse of nutrition.

What is the most common method of cooking mussels? ›

Steaming is the most common method of cooking mussels. It's a quick and simple way to get a delicious meal on the table. The steam during the cooking process is actually what opens the mussel shell. Do remember that even if a shell doesn't open, it's still good to eat – just prise it open with a knife.

Do I need to soak mussels before cooking? ›

If you've bought your mussels, they will have already been purged for sand. If you've picked your own, soaking them in seawater is a good idea to get rid of any sand and grit that is inside. If you can't access any seawater, mix 1 part of salt to 3 parts of water and leave overnight in your fridge.

What is the rule of cooking mussels? ›

When the pan starts to steam, cook the mussels for 3-4 mins, shaking the pan from time to time. They are cooked when the shells have opened.

What do you eat with Trader Joe's olive tapenade? ›

Make a cold pasta salad with veggies and use the tapenade as the dressing with lemon juice. Make a Mediterranean veggie burger with tapenade, red onion, tomato and parsley. Spread on a bagel for breakfast. Add it to your avocado toast.

What is a tapenade in cooking terms? ›

Tapenade (French pronunciation: [tapəˈnad]; Occitan: tapenada [tapeˈnadɔ]) is a Provençal name for a spread, condiment and culinary ingredient consisting of puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, and sometimes anchovies.

Is olive tapenade the same as olive spread? ›

Tapenade is an olive spread or dip hailing from the Provence region in France. It's bold, zippy, briny and salty, though we'll be sure to keep the salt level in check. Served with crostini or crackers, tapenade is a wonderful appetizer with drinks.

Can you fry with olive spread? ›

The taste of the Mediterranean with olive oil at the heart of all Bertolli recipes. Bertolli spread is perfect to spread over crusty bread, perfect for pan-frying and delicious melted over vegetables.

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