This recipe pays tribute to the legendary chef Roger Vergé, who with his partner Denise welcomed us at the unforgettable Moulin de Mougins. I shared cherished moments there alongside Michel Guérard.
Prepare the gazpacho 2-3 hours ahead and refrigerate. You can make the base (excluding fish) the day before for optimal flavor.
For the tuna, select a piece from the belly of a large white tuna—avoid the tail, as the flesh can be tough. Use fresh salmon, ideally from Scotland or Norway.
Wash the tomatoes, remove stems, halve them, and squeeze out seeds and water. Peel the cucumber, halve it lengthwise, and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Halve the pepper, remove stem and seeds. Peel the garlic.
In a blender or food processor, purée the tomatoes, garlic, half the cucumber, and half the pepper. Season with salt, then add olive oil, wine vinegar, and 2-3 drops of Tabasco. Adjust seasoning and strain through a fine sieve for a light cream consistency.
Peel and finely dice the onion; rinse under cold water in a sieve. Dice the remaining cucumber and pepper halves to match. Finely chop parsley and tarragon, mix with onion, and chill.
Chill serving plates in the refrigerator.
Remove skin and bones from the fish, rinse under cool water, pat dry. Cut into matchstick-sized pieces (4-5 cm long, 2-3 cm thick). Chill on the cold plate.
Just before serving, lightly salt the fish sticks and sprinkle with juice from half a lemon. Let marinate for 10 minutes (no longer, to avoid drying).
Arrange fish sticks in the center of each bowl, ladle vegetable cream over top, garnish with herb-onion mix. Serve immediately.
