Pastel de Atún (Mexican Tuna Cake) Recipe

I first tasted pastel de atún, or tuna cake―a dish product of layers of white sandwich bread frosted with a creamy, tuna-based sauce―when a neighbor began promoting little pink slices of it at a nook retailer close to my house in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Though pastel de atún could resemble a sugary, frosted layer cake, it is deeply savory by way of and thru, each creamy and spicy, chilly and candy.

Pastel de atún is a standard staple at youngsters’s birthday events because it’s an reasonably priced possibility that appears like a cake and will be adorned accordingly. As a bonus, it doesn’t require an oven; in Sinaloa, which sits proper on the Tropic of Most cancers, baking in an indoor oven could make a house uncomfortably scorching, so many kitchens don’t have one. The cake is normally served chilly with a aspect of frijoles puercos (a Sinaloa specialty of refried beans with lard, chorizo, and just a little chile). It’s additionally a well-liked make-ahead choice to carry alongside on household outings to the seaside or water park and eaten as “la comida,” or the primary meal of the day. It’s “like ceviche however cheaper,” one Mazatleca pal instructed me. 

Seafood has been a mainstay in coastal Sinaloa since earlier than Spanish colonization. Many coastal residents nonetheless work within the seafood business, on tuna and shrimp boats, on shrimp farms, or promoting seafood in markets or to eating places. Consuming seafood every day is widespread, which implies locals know their manner round a fish. Because of this, inventive recipes that incorporate easily-available substances like canned tuna abound, particularly in house cooking. There’s a variety of tuna salads, tuna ceviches (made with both canned or recent tuna), and even protein shakes with canned tuna, that are bought at a lot of Mazatlán’s standard smoothie retailers. Then, in fact, there’s pastel de atún. 

Although nobody I spoke with was fairly certain of the origin of pastel de atún, they commented that it carefully resembles the sandwichón, a dish with alternating layers of bread and hen salad or slices of ham that’s made in different areas of Mexico. Some imagine that, because the identify suggests, the sandwichón is an adaptation of a typical deli sandwich, however with frosting and ornament so as to add a little bit of aptitude for events and different occasions. And, in fact, the cake-like look is on-theme, particularly for birthdays. 

The truth is, for a “deluxe” model of pastel de atún, some Mazatlecos add slices of ham between the bread and sauce, as is typical in sandwichónes. For this recipe, I saved it easy and left the ham out. One other widespread native variation is the substitution of all or a number of the jalapeño within the sauce with chipotles in adobo. I did side-by-side style assessments of the recipe with jalapeño, chipotle, and a combination, and I personally choose all jalapeño, which lets the opposite flavors shine. This model, with jalapeño however with out ham or chipotle, is the best way I’ve most ceaselessly seen the dish served, and it’s my private favourite. (I additionally owe a giant because of my suegra Doña Esthela, my companion Lalo, and my volunteer taste-testers Hilda, John, Santa, Amialba and Hugo for taking the time to speak to me, attempt varied recipes, and reminisce about pastel de atún!) 

Since canned tuna comes packed each in water and oil, I wished to check each sorts to see what distinction, if any, there is likely to be. (I used yellowfin tuna in my assessments, however skipjack or chunk gentle can be utilized as nicely). I discovered that oil-packed tuna delivers a extra intense fish taste. Whereas a few of my taste-testers loved that pronounced fishiness, others, myself included, favored the extra refined flavors of the water-packed model. For this recipe, I like to recommend water-packed tuna for a lightweight taste that received’t overpower the opposite substances.

I like to make use of media crema, a cream product with 20 to 25% fats and stabilizers, as the bottom of the sauce. It’s accessible in most grocery shops with a well-stocked Latin part, in addition to on-line. A little bit cream cheese helps thicken the sauce. I additionally embody a pair slices of American cheese, a quite common pastel de atún ingredient that helps with thickening and rounds out the flavour.

For the cake layers, I choose crust-less white sandwich bread, which has a smooth, ethereal texture that retains the cake gentle; keep away from entire wheat bread, which is able to contribute a more durable, chewier texture. You possibly can hold the crusts readily available as a fast snack to dip in any leftover sauce.  

Most variations of this recipe name for the usual canned sizes of substances accessible in Mexican grocery shops, which makes measuring straightforward and cleansing up fast. It makes use of, for instance, about one 200-gram (7-ounce) can of La Costeña–model pink pepper strips (bought as “pimiento morrón en tiras”). Equally, the recipe requires roughly a 200-gram can of pickled jalapeños and one 225-gram (7.6 ounce) can of media crema. Whereas it might be interesting to make use of recent substances somewhat than canned, and would seemingly make a scrumptious pastel, canned is what it’s essential obtain essentially the most conventional taste profile.

Meeting is straightforward and fairly much like frosting a cake: Merely alternate layers of sauce and bread, ensuring the bread is totally slathered in sauce, which is able to start to soak into the bread however not all over. Enhance the highest with strips of pink bell pepper: You possibly can spell out phrases like, “Comfortable Birthday!,” or go for a enjoyable ornamental sample. Don’t cease there―you’ll be able to add extra pizzazz with further jalapeño slices and even strips of cheese. After a fast stint within the fridge to agency up the cake, dish up slices with frijoles puercos alongside; it’s an effective way to beat the warmth.

Might 2022