Tuna Basquaise

Thon Basquaise, tuna from Conserverie Jean de Luz

Thunfisch Thon Basquaise by Conserverie Jean de Luz is a warm meal for two, featuring albacore tuna in a sauce of peppers, tomatoes, and onions. It is inspired by piperade, the braised vegetable dish found on every stove in the Basque Country.

Thunfisch Thon Basquaise is a ready-made dish from Conserverie Jean de Luz in the French Basque Country, designed for two servings. The albacore tuna is cooked in the jar in a sauce made of organic vegetables, seasoned with garlic and Piment d'Espelette. Simply warm it up slowly in a pot, and it is ready to serve.

Hearty, savory, and succulent

The tuna breaks into tender chunks, absorbing all the sweetness and savory notes of the vegetables.

The sauce tastes of ripe tomatoes and slowly braised peppers, with the mild heat of Piment d'Espelette underneath. Because the vegetables are cooked together with the fish in the jar, the flavor of the fish infuses the sauce, giving it depth. You will be left with a bit of sauce at the end, which you can mop up with a piece of bread. Conserverie Jean de Luz cooks the vegetables and fish together instead of combining them only once on the plate.

Piperade, the Basque braised vegetable dish

Piperade is a Basque stew of green and red peppers, tomatoes, and onions, cooked slowly in oil.

In every kitchen between Bayonne and Bilbao, it is seasoned differently—sometimes milder, sometimes with significantly more fire. Those who cook it themselves let the peppers simmer for a good hour until they release their sweetness. Traditionally, it accompanies ham or eggs; here, it pairs perfectly with the tuna. Piment d'Espelette belongs in every one of these pans because it adds flavor without overpowering everything else.

Albacore tuna, light and mild

Thon Germon, as albacore tuna is called in the Basque Country, has light-colored meat and a significantly milder taste than bluefin tuna.

It is caught off the Basque coast and is considered the finest of all edible tuna species there. It is the right choice for a robust sauce because it does not compete with the vegetables. Its portion in this jar is high enough that you get a piece of fish in every spoonful. Conserverie Jean de Luz cooks it sealed with the vegetables, which keeps it succulent and ensures it loses little aroma.

Warm with rice, polenta, or pasta

Warm the contents slowly in a pot and serve with rice, polenta, or wide ribbon pasta.

Served on a baked potato with a fried egg on top, it makes for a dinner that takes less than fifteen minutes. Add some flat-leaf parsley, a glass of chilled white wine, and your evening is saved. A spoonful of crème fraîche rounds it off if you prefer it milder. For a more purist approach, try the tuna fillet in olive oil, and another warm meal is ready with the Soupe de Poisson.

Refrigerate after opening

It is best to transfer any leftovers into a bowl and cover them before placing them in the fridge.

The remainder will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks, while the unopened jar can be stored in a cool, dark place in your pantry. It tastes just as good cold the next day as an appetizer with bread. You can find more dishes from the Basque Country at Conserverie Jean de Luz.

Net weight 380g

Organic inspection body FR-BIO-010 – EU Agriculture