I do mine in a large solid granite mortar and pestle from Thailand – see
https://importfood.com/products/thai-cookware/item/mortar-and-pestle-solid-thai-granite
It has about a 3 cup capacity and weighs 15 lbs. I applied some felt feet to protect our granite counters and it is pretty easy to slide around, although I get the job of cleaning it later (usually just a good wipe with a paper towel).
This recipe is for what you can make with a small tin of anchovies – you can make larger portions as needed.
Open and drain a couple of 50 g. flat tins of oil packed anchovies and put them in the mortar (can also be done in a cuisinart), Add a teaspoon or a bit more of capers, 2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled (depends on size of the garlic cloves as well as the taste of the cook), a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and grind it all up, adding up to 4 tbsp. of olive oil as it smooths out. Add a few good grinds of black pepper.
If you make it a little on the looser side (more olive oil) you can use ot as a dip for vegetables. If you add less, you can use it as a spread for bruschetta and for one of my favourite dishes – recipe follows.
Pissaladiere
A dish from the South of France.
Make a dough or use premade pizza dough and roll it out to fit a rectangular pan, turning up and crimping the edges..
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy (pref. cast iron) skillet on medium low heat, add 2 ½ lbs. of onions, (around 8 cups) sliced up, about 3 or 4 garlic cloves (I use a press but you can finely chop them) a bay leaf and at least a teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme and cook covered for 45 min, then uncover and cook until the liquid is pretty much gone (should be golden, not brown or black!).
Spread a thin layer of anchoiade over the crust, add the cooked onions and dot with capers, halves of pitted Nicoise olives and more anchovy filets (1 tin should do it – you can do fancy crisscross or whatever you like).
Bake at 425 for 30 min and then cool at least a bit before serving (cold is fine too) . Perfect with a Rhone of Provencal red. You can omit the layer of anchoiade on the bottom if you are in a hurry, but it is worth taking time to include it.
