- For Eggplant Caviar:
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 egg, hard-boiled
- 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil (about 1 cup for blending)
- Salt and ground pepper
- For Tuna and Sardine Tartare:
- 200 g Bluefin tuna fillets, diced into 1 cm cubes
- 4 boneless sardine fillets, diced into 1 cm cubes
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon crushed capers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and ground pepper
- For Assembly:
- 200 g diced tomatoes
- 300 g artichoke hearts, cut into pieces
- 100 g pitted black olives, chopped
- 200 g pickled Pimientos del Piquillo, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 bunch chives, chopped
- Prepare the vinegar reduction: Reduce the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan. Add chopped Pimientos del Piquillo and the peeled, seeded, crushed tomato. Simmer until stewed and flavorful.
- Make the eggplant caviar: Preheat oven to 200°C. Bake the eggplant for 20 minutes until soft. Hard-boil the egg, peel it, and chop. Chop the tomato and onion. Scoop out eggplant pulp and chop. Mix all chopped ingredients, season with salt and pepper, then blend with olive oil until smooth.
- Prepare the tuna and sardine tartare: Dice the tuna and sardine fillets into 1 cm cubes. Finely chop shallots and capers. Combine everything, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Prep assembly ingredients: Chop the olives, cut artichoke hearts into pieces, and finely chop the tarragon and chives.
- Assemble the verrines: In each verrine, layer a spoonful of tuna-sardine tartare, followed by eggplant caviar, then a mix of diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, and herbs. Repeat layers until full, drizzling with vinegar reduction between layers.
- Garnish: Optionally, skewer a diced tomato, tuna cube, and olive piece on a thin spaghetti strand for decoration.
Culinary Ideas from Chef Hubert
