Three recipes

TAPENADE

Sometimes called the "poor man's caviar," tapenade is a traditional appetizer in Provence. The name comes from the Provenal word for capers (tapno), an ingredient which often gets left out of recipes for this dish.

1 pound top-quality pitted black olives (not canned varieties)

2 (or more) anchovy fillets, canned, packed in olive oil, or 2 salted anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons capers

3 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (or a blend of dried basil, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme)

Freshly ground black pepper

If using anchovies packed in oil, blot with a paper towel. If using salted fillets, rinse in cold water; blot dry.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until tapenade is finely chopped, and resembles caviar in consistency.

Serve with plain crackers or water biscuits. Tapenade is also an excellent condiment with chicken, fish, or hard-boiled eggs.

Makes about 1 cup.

LEG OF LAMB WITH ANCHOVY SAUCE

STUFFING:

8 fillets of anchovies in oil,

drained and mashed with fork

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1-3/4 pounds boneless leg of lamb

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup water

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

8 anchovy fillets in oil, minced

1/2 cup nonalcoholic white wine

Mix stuffing ingredients together, stuff the lamb, and truss. Rub lamb with vegetable oil. Heat roasting pan on top of stove; sear lamb on all sides. Place in preheated 425 degree F. oven; add water to pan. Baste and turn lamb every 15 minutes. (Allow 20 minutes per pound for medium rare, or when meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F.) Halfway through cooking, place garlic cloves around lamb.

In a small pan, heat anchovies in their oil, until they soften.

Remove lamb to a carving board, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Deglaze roasting pan with nonalcoholic wine over high heat, scraping pan with wooden spoon. Add softened anchovies to roasting pan juices to make sauce.

Carve lamb in 1/4-inch slices. Serve 2 slices of lamb per person. Drizzle lamb with anchovy sauce.

Serves 6 to 8.

- Above recipes adapted from Mas de Cornud cooking school in St. Remy, France.

ANCHOVY BUTTER

A delicious and interesting compound butter to use on grilled beef, lamb, or fish, and steamed vegetables such as cauliflower. The recipe may be doubled and rolled tube-shape in wax paper or foil and frozen for later use.

3 canned anchovy fillets, blotted,

or 3 to 4 teaspoons anchovy paste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth (scraping down sides occasionally). Or, blend butter, lemon juice, and pepper into minced anchovies with a fork.

Anchovy tips

*Canned anchovies can be stored, unopened, at room temperature for at least a year. Once opened they can be refrigerated for at least two months if covered with additional olive oil and sealed tightly in a jar.

*When shopping for canned anchovies for cooking, look for flat fillets rather than those rolled around a caper. (Rolled anchovies are served as hors d'oeuvres.)

*To alleviate saltiness, soak anchovy fillets in milk or cool water for about 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

*Although not as flavorful as whole anchovies, tubes of anchovy paste are a practical way to purchase them.

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society