The Original Spreadable Tuna Mousse – Spuma di Tonno

Copyright © 2007 by David Shalleck. Excerpted from Mediterranean Summer, published in the United States by Broadway Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.

1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and lemon juice. Break down the tuna in a food processor by pulsing first, then running, until it is evenly chopped but not pureed. Add the liquid seasonings and process until the mixture is smooth. After a few seconds, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate the tuna that didn’t get into the puree.

   With the machine running, add the butter, piece by piece, adding the next only after each is incorporated. Do not overmix. The butter needs to be blended with the tuna but not whipped to the point that it will melt because of the heat generated in the bowl. Add the cream while pulsing the machine, and as soon as it appears incorporated, basta – that’s it. This will take only a few seconds.

   Transfer the mousse to a bowl or storage container and keep refrigerated.The mousse can be made up to 3 days before serving. Take it out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving to let it soften.