This post is about my favorite savory spread of all time: pašteta od tune, a.k.a tuna pate.
Okay, another story about my trip to Croatia...
(By the way, I never get tired of talking about this trip, so just bear with me. Thanks. Carry on.)
This is probably what I ate the most during my stay in Croatia. Back home I never really noticed pate, but it was in almost everyone's fridge over there. According to Wikipedia, "In the former Yugoslavia, pašteta (a thinly pureed pâté) is a very popular bread spread usually made from chicken or less commonly tuna or salmon." There were pork pate, beef pate, chicken liver pate, turkey pate, etc. I tried them all. I was hooked. When I returned home, I came back with my carrier full of canned pašteta.
So that's how it all began.
Anyhow, I love pate of all kinds, but tuna pate is my favorite type of pate. It is super easy to make at home and also a good way to use up canned tuna when I have too many of them in my cupboard.
I made my tuna pate based on this recipe by Đuro Rapaić on Kuhari.com. (It's in Croatian, but there's a video on this which is quite helpful even if you don't understand what he's saying.)
This is a really quick and simple recipe that literally takes only 5 minutes.
Ingredients :
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
1 Philadelphia Mini Cream Cheese Spread or 1 The Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese Wedge
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons pickle relish
Lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Some olive oil
A pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend them well.
If you want a creamier paste, add more oil or mayonnaise and blend for a longer time.
That's it! See, it only takes a few minutes to prepare and make.
The key point of this recipe is blending the mixture very well until it becomes a nice, creamy consistency. The paste is not spreadable unless it's creamy. (Been there, done that.)
I usually chill them in the fridge before serving.
Mmm...yummy. Serve with bread or crackers. Om nom nom.