Tuna Antipasto

Serves

As an appetizer, this is enough for 10 - 20 people.

Ingredients

36	oz		chunk light tuna, in oil
7	oz		canned, cooked mushrooms (``stems & pieces'')
4	oz		pimento
7	oz		green olives, with pimentos
12	oz		black (ripe) olives, pits removed
4	oz		anchovie fillets, in oil
12			capers
8 - 10	cloves		garlic
			lemon juice
			oregano
			thyme
			marjoram
			basil
			crushed red pepper (optional)

Procedure

1. Drain all ingredients thoroughly.


2. Chop everything all to hell. You want pieces about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm); however, chop the anchovies and capers until you have a coarse paste.


3. Mix well.


4. Serve, usually with Ritz crackers.

Notes

• It's important to drain all wet ingredients thoroughly, especially the anchovies and the tuna. I suggest you stack three or four paper towels on top of each other, separate the anchovies, lay them out on the papers towels, stack another three or four sheets on top of the anchovies, and set them aside. Then, use the can lids to squeeze as much oil as you can out of the tuna; dump it in a colander, and set it aside. Drain the rest of the ingredients in a second colander. Chop the contents of the second colander, then add the tuna, then chop the anchovies; this give you the right ratio of draining times. Remember, you're aiming for a fairly dry end product.


• Don't use a food processor -- it will come out too smooth. I suggest a chopping bowl and a curved chopping blade.


• At least where I buy my groceries, a 2 oz can of flat anchovies and a 2 oz can of rolled anchovies with capers yield the correct amount.


• Buy "stems & pieces" mushrooms - they're cheaper, and you're going to chop them anyway.


• Around here, ripe olives seem to cost about the same regardless of size; I find "large" work just fine.


• For those outside the U.S.A., I'm afraid I can't offer a "generic" for the Ritz crackers. The best I can tell you is that they're a buttery savory-type cracker (biscuit) with a hint of sweetness. Oh, yes - they're salted. Good luck.


• Some people have asked for pictures of the finished dish, to get an idea of overall texture and the size of the individual bits. Here's a picture of a full bowl and a close-up.


• Approximately 35 calories (kcal) per ounce

Rating

• Difficulty: Very easy.

• Time: About 45 minutes.

• Precision: Keep the proportions of the ingredients constant; otherwise, 1.

Source