Tuna Rillettes is a rustic French spread made from Baked Tuna, Crème Fraîche and herbs. It's delicious as a party starter served on a crusty baguette or toast. 
Tuna Rillettes (Tuna Pâté)
I have to honestly tell you, until I tried Tuna Rillettes, I was not a tuna fan. There was something about this fish that was not to my liking. Whenever we ordered sushi, I would always skip the ones with tuna. And whenever we made a seafood salad, I would always choose salmon over tuna.
Recently I decided that I need to get more French recipes inspiration. Despite that Internet has lots of resources, it's still hard to find beyond basic recipes. So I headed to our local Barnes & Nobbles to scout the book shelves. Nowadays, I prefer buying things online.
But when in comes to books, I love purchasing them in person. There's something magical about flipping through the pages and inhaling the aroma of a new book that almost always makes me want to buy it.
One book that particularly caught my attention was by Mimi Thorisson - A Kitchen in France. I've always been a fan of rustic recipes, the ones you won't usually find on the Internet. Well, this book has them all. Beautiful looking food, moody photography, the story behind each dish - it all made me splurge and become an owner of new and shiny recipe book. Thanks to it, now I love tuna and more eager to try new tuna recipes than before.
Whether you love tuna or not, I guarantee, you will enjoy this rustic Tuna Rillettes. It's so easy to make and tastes incredible.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces tuna
- ⅓ cup Crème fraîche
- 1 shallot finely minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- Salt Pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil + 2 tablespoon
- French Baguette for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Brush tuna with 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Bake in a prepared baking dish for 15 minutes.
- Remove tuna from the oven and let it cool.
- In a medium bowl and using a fork, flake tuna into small but chunky pieces. Add Creme Fraiche, olive oil, parsley, chives, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and salt to a taste. Mix until combined.
- Cover the bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
- When ready to serve, remove rillettes from the fridge and enjoy on a slice of toasted baguette.
Notes
Now that I have this beautiful book on hands, I feel even more inspired to make new and never seen before French recipes. What's your all time favorite French dish?
If you make this recipe, don't forget to snap a picture and post it on Instagram with a hashtag #lavenderandmacarons. I'd love to see your creations.
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Bev says
Hi this sounds great but can you tell me how many it serves. ??
Iryna says
Hi Bev! The recipe will make enough pâté for about 12-14 toasts. Hope this helps!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
This would be such an elegant addition to any dinner party. It looks fantastic!
Iryna says
Thank you Ashley!
Julia says
I must try this recipe! I love Salmon rillettes, but I've never tried making it with tuna. In fact, I've never cooked tuna myself and I am not a fan of canned tuna. I like canned salmon though (must be a Russian thing). This rillettes looks delicious!
Iryna says
Thank you for the comment Julia! I've never tried salmon rillettes. But I imagine it's delicious. I'm a big fan of salmon, so I've got to try this recipe with a salmon.
Megan says
These looks absolutely delicious and I am loving all the fresh herbs in here! I also love that you used Crème fraîche for a tangy little bite!
Iryna says
Thanks Megan! I'm a big fan of Crème Fraîche and I use it whenever I can:))
Diana says
This recipe is perfect for parties for canapés. Easy, quick and delicious!
Iryna says
Thanks Diana!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
Maybe you just don't like the tuna and mayo combination like in tuna salad. 😀 A lot of sushi places will put flavored mayo on the sushi too. This sounds delicious! (And I love tuna)
Iryna says
Maybe. For some reason I was never a fan of tuna until now:)
Emily says
These rillettes look beautiful! I also love French food. Can't wait to try these!
Iryna says
Thank you Emily!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
I used to really love tuna salad years ago but it was nothing like this. What a great combination of flavors in this recipe. I can see why this would make you a tuna lover.
Iryna says
Thanks Stephanie!