Louisiana-Style Tuna Flakes

Émietté de Thon Luzienne by la belle-iloise, Basque-style seasoning

Émietté de Thon Luzienne by la belle-iloise is flaked albacore tuna in olive oil with tomato, red bell pepper, Bayonne ham, and Piment d'Espelette. The seasoning hails from the Basque Country, the fish from the Atlantic, and they both meet in one small tin.

Émietté de Thon Luzienne is a spreadable fish pâté by la belle-iloise from Quiberon in Brittany. It consists of flaked albacore tuna in extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with tomato paste, onions, red bell pepper, red wine vinegar, air-dried ham, and mild chili from the Basque Country.

Bell pepper, ham, and a warming heat

The ham provides salt and a subtle smoky note, the red bell peppers offer a fruity counterpoint, and the tomato paste holds both in perfect balance. Red wine vinegar provides the acidity without which the spread would feel heavy. Onions provide the sweet foundation upon which it all rests.

The albacore from la belle-iloise tastes light and almost buttery, which is why it can handle the bold seasoning without being overwhelmed by it. Cassava starch binds the recipe just enough so that it stays on the knife and spreads evenly onto bread.

Flaked here literally means what the French "émietté" implies: broken into crumbs, not blended into a paste. This is why fibers remain visible and the spread has texture where a mousse would be merely soft.

The fish spread for baguettes and pasta

On a warm, crusty baguette with a few drops of lemon, the seasoning comes through most clearly, and nothing else is needed.

Tossed over a summer salad with tomatoes and black olives, the spread doubles as a dressing. Stirred into quick pasta, just before serving and without further heat, it becomes a sauce with a noticeable kick.

Stir it into the finished pasta only once the pot is off the stove, otherwise the bell pepper loses its freshness. With scrambled eggs on a Sunday morning, it turns a simple plate into something that tastes of the south. Those looking for the same seasoning on whole fish will find it in the Sardines à la Luzienne.

Piment d'Espelette, the chili from the house wall

Espelette is a village in the French Basque Country where, in autumn, red chili pods hang to dry on facades in long rows from the eaves to the windowsill.

These pods are ground into a powder that is milder than cayenne and brings a fruity, almost sweet warmth. In the Basque Country, it has replaced black pepper for centuries, as black pepper was long expensive and difficult to obtain.

The name Luzienne refers to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the Basque port near the Spanish border where la belle-iloise has its own boutique. This is how the cuisine of the southwest ends up in a tin filled in the north.

The air-dried ham comes from the Adour Valley, where it is rubbed with salt from Salies-de-Béarn and aged for months in the humid sea air. This aging makes it soft and nutty, which is why a small amount is enough to set the tone for an entire recipe.

A tin that saves supper

Unopened, the tin sits in the cupboard for years and serves as an entire meal on tired evenings when only a baguette is left in the house. Once opened, keep it covered and refrigerated for two days; the fish should not stay open longer than that. More tuna can be found nearby, and the entire assortment is in the la belle-iloise collection.