Pesto in the Mortar and Pestle
NOTE: To pit the olives, place them on a work surface, cover them with parchment or waxed paper and whack them firmly yet gently with a rolling pin. This splits them open, making the pit easy to remove. In general, olives are salty so the additional salt isn’t necessary. When looking for olives, if you cannot find those mentioned below, use a generic French olive.
- 1 clove garlic (green germ removed if necessary)
- Generous pinch sea salt
- 1-1/2 cup top-quality black olives (such as Lucques or Olives de Nyons,, 8 ounces;250g)
- pitted (coarsely chopped)
- cup ½ walnuts (coarsely chopped, 50g)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (coarsely chopped, 30g)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (15g)
- 9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (140ml)
- Fine sea salt – optional
- In a mortar, pound the garlic with the salt until it is a fine puree. Add the olives, the nuts, and the basil and mix until the mixture is homogeneous but still has much texture. Slowly mix in the oil. Season to taste with salt if necessary, and serve.
