So Eat Something, Already

No matter how tough life gets, how bare the pantry, how little time you have to prepare something to eat, you can always whip up some tuna foam, which sounds a whole lot better when you call it Spuma di Tonno.  Thank you, Michael Chiarello, for one of the best little pantry snacks that ever came into my life.  And although it’s in vogue to modify a thing or two here or there, I can’t even claimed to have changed his recipe one iota.  It’s fabulous as it is, so good that I’ve never been tempted to adapt it in the slightest.

I love to serve it with crudités or lightly steamed vegetables.  It’s great on crackers and bread.  It’s good on a spoon, and licking it off your fingers is pretty nice too.  Tuck it in your lunchbox, take it on a picnic, eat it for a solitary late-night snack.  One of its best attributes is that it takes under five minutes to put together; in fact, you’ll spend more time washing your food processor than you’ll spend in preparing this dish.  Just be sure to use the best tuna you can get, and don’t even think of using the water-packed stuff.

                      
Spuma di Tonno

1  7 oz. can  of Italian or Spanish imported tuna packed in oil
2  tsp  lemon juice
2  tsp  soy sauce
2  tsp  balsamic vinegar
4 tsp softened butter
1 T  heavy cream
plenty of salt and pepper to taste

Drain the tuna and pulse it once or twice in the food processor to break it up.  With the machine running, add the lemon juice, soy sauce, and vinegar.  Add the butter and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the cream and pulse a few times to blend.  Do not over-process the spuma after adding the cream or the mixture may break.

You want to serve this at room temperature, so it’s smooth and creamy.  If you do make it ahead, be sure to remove it from the fridge an hour before serving.

I haven’t tried this yet with sardines or mackerel, but I can’t see any reason why that wouldn’t be equally delicious.  Mmmm, fish foam.  Just trust me on this one.

Explore posts in the same categories: At Home In France, Posts Containing Recipes

Tags: Food, French Cooking

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