How usually do you stray from custom in the case of recipes? Would you say you’re a rule follower or a riffer?
Cooking is all about clocking up time within the kitchen. Simply as a pilot will chart well-mapped programs as they’re studying to unfold their wings, following tried and true recipes to the letter is a protected and efficient technique to construct up confidence earlier than you unfold yours.
However for those who’re a long-time follower who’s able to take to the sky, the most effective place to start out is someplace acquainted, then whack on a twist, as a result of even the recipes you thought have been canonical usually began with a riff.
Take tuna mornay, for instance.
When you grew up in Australia, you’ll in all probability be stunned to study that tuna mornay is barely a “factor” for us – and just for the final 80-odd years. For the French, sauce mornay – bechamel with grated cheese – is often reserved for slathering over seafood reminiscent of lobster. In Italy, birthplace of pasta, seafood and cheese are an unholy union. It’s the anglophones who appear to be cool with pairing creamy sauce and canned fish. Tuna pasta bakes and casseroles, that are tuna mornay by a much less fancy-schmancy title, are widespread in North America and the UK.
One benefit of being down below is we’re far sufficient away from the European culinary cannon to play a little bit quicker and looser with the classics. Of each Cucina Australiana – or elsewhere.
So why not riff on a riff? Carry the most effective bits of a mornay – creamy, comforting, fuss-free – then remove the margin of gluggy error by changing the bechamel with a crème fraiche, add zip and zest with my very versatile PGAL (a paste of parsley, garlic, anchovy and lemon that you just’re going to wish to unfold and stir via all the pieces) and freshen it additional by incorporating the accoutrement from one other conventional tuna dish: the niçoise.
Normally a niçoise is bulked out with spuds; as an alternative the crunchy high right here is none aside from crushed-up potato crisps! I received the inspiration for this from a reader known as Sue, who emailed to ask if I’d tried it. Expensive reader, when you’ve tried this, it’s fairly laborious to return to plain outdated panko.
Alice Zaslavsky’s tuna niçoise mornay
Serves 4-6
1 can (425g) tuna in olive oil, drained, reserving the oil
50g black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained (I used lilliput in salt, however any will do)
80g gruyere, grated
200ml crème fraiche
500g dried quick pasta (shells at all times work nicely right here)
200g inexperienced beans, topped and chopped to pea dimension
For the PGAL (parsley, garlic, anchovy and lemon) paste
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, washed and stems trimmed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 good-quality anchovies, together with the oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
Reserved tuna oil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp freshly floor black pepper
For the chippie crumb
100g packet potato chips/crisps of your selection
50g butter, room temp
50g gruyere, grated
Carry a big pot of well-salted water to the boil and preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C typical).
To make the PGAL paste, pop all the elements right into a meals processor and blitz to a clean paste. Go away within the meals processor till wanted.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the tuna, olives, capers, grated cheese, crème fraiche and blend to mix, breaking apart the tuna into chunks. Verify for seasoning and regulate if wanted.
To make the crumb topping, pop chippies (crisps), butter and cheese into one other bowl and squish collectively along with your fingers to interrupt up the chips, rubbing within the butter and cheese to kind a crumb texture.
As soon as the pasta water is on the boil, add the pasta to the pot, stir about for the primary minute or so to maintain it from clumping, then prepare dinner for one minute lower than the packet’s directions. Earlier than draining the pasta, pop your inexperienced beans within the backside of a colander. Drain the pasta over the beans (it will give them a swift blanch to take the squeaky edge off) and toss each pasta and beans again within the pot, together with all the tuna elements and PGAL paste. Stir all the pieces collectively nicely and test for seasoning.
Pour right into a baking dish and high with the chippie crumb. Place within the oven for 10 minutes till golden and bubbly.
The dish will likely be super-hot, so take care when getting it out of the oven. Serve instantly with a easy salad on the facet.
