Bouchons au Thon

Oh, hey, you guys! Long time no see! You may have noticed that I missed an entire week of posting, and now this post is a day late. The reasons behind my lack of posting are twofold. First, Mikey and I, and a few of our friends have recently taken up bouldering. Bouldering is rock climbing without ropes. A completely awesome climbing gym opened up near us, and we all got memberships. “But, Rachael,” you’re thinking, “how much time could climbing on rocks possibly take up?” A lot. We try to go 3-5 times/week for 2 hours at a time. The second reason for my lack of posting is far geekier. The computer game, Diablo 3, just came out, and for the past couple of weeks I have been spending hours upon hours nerding it up online.

BUT ANNNNYWAYYSSS… let’s talk about these crazy, muffiny-looking things. These are bouchons au thon; translated, that means “tuna corks,” because they kind of resemble little corks :]!

This recipe makes typical, boring canned tuna something special, and even somewhat gourmet. The bouchons au thon are delicate and flaky, somewhat rich from the crème fraîche and Gruyère, and a tad sweet from the tomato paste. They were positively divine when served up with my Roasted New Potatoes with Fresh Herb Pesto, and simple spring mix salad greens tossed in my Basil-Balsamic Dressing. However, I also think that they would make a fun and unique appetizer.

Not only are these incredibly simple to make, but they are also quite cost-friendly! Quick, cheap, and tasty, how can you go wrong?

Bouchons au Thon

recipe slightly adapted from here

makes 8

ingredients:

• 7.5 ounces canned, water-packed tuna
• 1 1/3 cup finely shredded Gruyère cheese
• heaping 1/3 cup crème fraîche
• 3-4 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 1/2 tbsp minced parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Flake in the tuna and add in all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
3. Divide the mixture evenly among 8 muffin tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops and sides are set. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing and serving.