Galette Feuilletée à la Ceviche de Thon
Puff Pastry “Cake” with Tuna Ceviche

This is not a cake, but rather a flat pastry smothered with the flavorful Provençal tomato spread, then topped with tuna ceviche, sort of like an elegant, savory pizza. If you feel compelled to make your own puff pastry, consider using Julia Child’s recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume II. At school, we broiled the tuna in the oven. Here, it’s “cooked” in lemon and lime juice a la ceviche. If desired, forego the puff pastry and serve on toasted baguette slices. I serve this as a plated appetizer with a brut sparkling wine or a hearty Chablis. The ceviche is delicious on its own with wedges of lemon and lime. Makes eight to 10 appetizer servings.

Ceviche
1 pound (500g) ahi tuna, cut into small cubes
½ medium red onion, finely diced
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Ground pepper, to taste
Tabasco, cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste
Pinch of ground oregano
1 cup (30 g) chopped basil
½ cup (125 ml) fresh squeezed lime juice
½ cup (125 ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 sheet prepared puff pastry
1 recipe of Provençal tomato spread (see accompanying recipe)

In a nonreactive casserole dish, preferably glass, or in a gallon-sized zipper bag, combine the tuna, onion, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, Tabasco, oregano and a cup of chopped basil. Cover with lemon and lime juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour, and then stir to ensure all the fish comes into contact with the marinade. Let rest for about six hours. Fish should appear white and cooked.

When ready to prepare, preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C. Put the ceviche mix into a colander over a bowl, then return to the fridge for at least twenty minutes or the time it takes to bake the pastry. Roll out the puff pastry on a pastry sheet and bake according to directions, or until golden. When done, flatten slightly with a cooling rack, if available. Let cool slightly.

Spoon the Provençal tomato spread over the puff pastry, as on a pizza. Layer the ceviche on top of the pastry. Add a few turns of the fresh pepper on top, and serve.

Have feedback on his recipe? Email info@kathleenflinn.com

From "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry," Viking/Penguin, all copyright reserved 2007