Tinned Fish Recipe

Drain and flake tuna

Open the tin of Spanish tuna belly and pour off excess oil into a small bowl (reserve for brushing bread or dressing). Gently break the tuna into large flakes with a fork, keeping some larger pieces intact for texture.

Prepare capers and peppers

Rinse the capers in cold water and drain well. Halve the sweet drop peppers lengthwise and remove any large seeds. Pat both capers and peppers dry on paper towel to avoid watering down the dish.

Combine toppings

In a medium bowl, place the flaked tuna, pickled red onion (if slices are large, quarter them), rinsed capers, and halved sweet drop peppers. Add the chopped parsley, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss once or twice just to combine — do not overwork the tuna, you want distinct pieces.

Adjust seasoning

Taste a small piece and adjust acidity/salt if needed: add a squeeze of lemon juice (from the wedges) for brightness or a pinch more salt for balance. Keep the mixture slightly oily but fresh-tasting.

Prepare the baguette

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) or set a grill to medium-high. Slice the baguette on a bias into 1/2-inch (1–1.5 cm) slices. Arrange on a baking sheet.

Brush and toast

Brush each baguette slice lightly with the reserved olive oil from the tuna tin mixed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or simply with the 1 tbsp olive oil listed. Toast in the oven for 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp (or grill 1–2 minutes per side).

Rub with garlic and butter

When the toasts are warm, rub the cut side of the halved garlic clove over each slice for a subtle garlic note. Spread a thin layer (about 1/2 tsp) of softened butter on each toast while still warm so it melts in.

Top and finish

Spoon a portion of the tuna and garnish mixture onto each toast, aiming for generous but neat portions (roughly 25–30 g tuna mixture per slice). Finish with an extra whole caper or half sweet pepper on top of each piece, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and a small crack of black pepper. Serve lemon wedges alongside for squeezing.

Serving suggestion

Arrange on a platter and serve immediately while toasts are crisp. Leftover tuna mixture keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours; refresh with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil before serving again.