I purchased A Middle Eastern Pantry, by Chef Lior Lev Sercarz, in early 2023, soon after it was published. Mr. Sercarz owns La Boîte in New York City, New York, a highly regarded spice store. I own his first book, The Spice Companion, published in 2017, and was extremely impressed with his knowledge and bio. The book is basically a spice encyclopedia. There’s more information about him in this post.
I have bookmarked at least 50 recipes in this latest publication. I love when a cookbook gets me this excited. Besides recipes, the book offers up lots of information about Middle Eastern pantry staples, with tips on using various ingredients like grape molasses and verjus, and spice mixtures like shawarma and baharat.
One tip, for example, is to use orange blossom water to accentuate the floral flavors of fresh stone fruit or tomatoes. Another tip is to use tahini in meatballs for extra richness.
The first recipe I chose to make is his olive spread. Trust me, this is no tapenade. Two surprise ingredients are rose petals and rose water!
Mr. Sercarz recommends Picholine, Manzanilla, or Cerignola olives for this recipe, not buttery mild olives like Castelvetrano.
“Try spreading this over slices of fresh bread, serving it on top of grilled fish, or using it as a seasoning paste on a rack of lamb before cooking.”
Olive Spread
Makes about 1 cup
1 – 1 1/2 cups pitted green olives, I used Manzanilla
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 tablespoon loosely packed rose petals, crumbled, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon pistachio oil, plus more for serving
Salt
Fresh pomegranate arils, for serving
In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the olives, the pistachios, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and garlic until finely chopped but not yet pureed.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and gently stir in the rose petals, shallot, rose water, and pistachio oil. The mixture should be the texture of a coarse tapenade.
Depending on the type of olives used, it may be too runny. If so, add the remaining 1/2 cup olives to the food processor to chop, then stir into the spread.
Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve right away, or cover and refrigerate, then bring back to room temperature before serving.
To serve, spread the mixture in a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of pistachio oil, crumbled rose petals, and pomegranate arils.
This tapenade, as unique as it is, was delicious. I was afraid I might not enjoy the smell and flavor of rose water, but it’s hardly discernable. The flavors just blend beautifully!