This treasured recipe from acclaimed Basque chef Christian Parra captures the essence of regional flavors with its vibrant piperade base and premium tuna belly.
Prepare the piperade: Scald the tomatoes for easy peeling, then squeeze out the excess water, seeds, and vegetation. Crush the tomatoes. Peel and finely slice the onions, peel and crush the garlic cloves. Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut into three or four pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Gently sweat the onions without browning. Add the peppers and cook until tender but still green. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, garlic, sugar, Espelette pepper, and diced ham. Simmer uncovered over low heat until the tomato water evaporates. Season to taste.
Prepare the dough:
Let the piperade cool completely. Preheat the oven to 240°C (th. 8). Flour your work surface and roll out the puff pastry to about 2 mm thick. Cut out 4 circles, 12 cm in diameter. Prick them with a fork and place on a lightly buttered baking sheet.
Assemble and finish:
Spread a ½ cm layer of piperade on each pastry base. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, halve the tuna belly, remove the skin with a sharp knife, and slice the flesh into 2 mm thick strips.
Remove the pies from the oven. Arrange the tuna slices over the piperade. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Guérande fleur de sel and a light dusting of Espelette pepper. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, until the tuna is pink in the center.
Just before serving, add a splash of vinegar and garnish with chopped chives.
