Recipe: Seared beef crostini with artichoke tapenade, casaveltrano olives and rosemary

Hosting a big shindig, and need a delicious appetizer that can please a crowd?

Chef Ben Ford, purveyor of the U.S.-based Ford’s Filling Station has  you covered with his recipe for seared beef crostini with artichoke tapenade, casaveltrano olives and rosemary.

This savoury dish will serve 32, and be sure to have your guests talking.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. flat iron steak, seared and sliced thin
• fresh ground black pepper
• kosher salt
• Baguette, sliced

Artichoke tapenade

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 oz pitted casaveltrano green olives
• 3 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoon green peppercorns
• 14 ounces canned in water or frozen artichokes hearts, drained well (nothing pre marinated)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 12 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• black pepper, to taste
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

Marinated green olives

• 10 oz. pitted casaveltrano green olives, chopped
• 2 anchovies, minced
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• ½ tablespoon finely chopped marjoram
• ½ tablespoon finely chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Beef

1.     Pat the steaks as dry as you can. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Season the steak all over with kosher salt and pepper. Use a brush to spread the oil out on the preheated skillet, then add the steaks.
2.     Sear well on all sides and cook to medium rare.
3.     Let cool and slice thin.
4.     To plate smear each toasted crostini with the Artichoke Tapenade. Ribbon the sear beef on top and finish with the marinated olives and garnish with pulled parsley or chervil.

Tapenade

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic, olives, capers, green peppercorns, artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and olive oil, and until almost smooth, but still chunky.
2. Taste, and add salt, chili powder, rosemary and additional lemon juice, if desired.

Olives

1. Combine all the ingredients except of the olive oil and pulse them in a blender or food processor the mixture becomes a coarse but not pasty. You don’t want the texture to be too smooth.
2. Add the olive oil, just enough to form a spreadable paste. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Crostini

1. To make the crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil, season with kosher salt and arrange them on a baking sheet.
3. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Rub surfaces with a raw garlic clove.