Description
Ina Garten’s crostini with tuna tapenade blends Mediterranean flavors into an elegant appetizer. Crisp baguette slices provide perfect contrast to rich, briny olive and tuna spread that will delight guests at any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 to 12 oz (280 to 340 g) Italian tuna, canned or jarred, packed in olive oil
- ⅓ cup (80 g) mascarpone cheese, Italian
- 3 tbsps good olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread
- 3 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsps minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tsps anchovy paste
- 2 tsps minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1 tbsp drained capers
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (40 g) kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 36 slices French bread, cut diagonally
Instructions
- Tapenade Preparation: Drain tuna, reserving olive oil, and flake into food processor, ensuring no large chunks remain.
- Flavor Infusion: Add anchovy paste, thyme leaves, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic to the processor. Pulse to blend ingredients uniformly.
- Texture Development: Stream in lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and mascarpone cheese. Process until achieving a smooth, slightly textured consistency.
- Final Seasoning: Incorporate kalamata olives, capers, kosher salt, and black pepper. Pulse briefly to maintain ingredient integrity.
- Flavor Melding: Transfer tapenade to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour to enhance taste profile.
- Crostini Crafting: Preheat gas grill to medium-high or oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Brush bread slices with extra virgin olive oil on both sides.
- Toasting Technique: Grill bread for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, or bake on a sheet for 6-8 minutes until edges crisp and color lightens.
- Assembly and Garnish: Cool crostini briefly, spread generously with tapenade, and sprinkle with fresh parsley for a vibrant finish.
- Serving Suggestion: Present immediately to maintain crisp texture and chilled tapenade quality.
Notes
- Boost Flavor Depth: Let tapenade rest in refrigerator for at least one hour to allow ingredients to marry and develop complex, rich taste profiles.
- Texture Perfection: Pulse ingredients carefully to maintain slight chunk texture, avoiding over-processing which can create bland, mushy consistency.
- Oil Management: Reserve and strategically use olive oil from tuna to enhance overall moisture and richness of tapenade without overwhelming other ingredients.
- Bread Selection Matters: Choose sturdy, high-quality bread with good structure to support tapenade without becoming soggy, ensuring crisp and delightful crostini experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 389 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg