BRETON TUNA AND WHITE BEAN GRATIN

Breton Tuna and White Bean Gratin image

Like a tuna casserole given a makeover, this pantry dinner is modern, sleek and a whole lot more elegant than anything your grandmother used to serve. The key is using really good-quality tuna, preferably the kind packed in extra-virgin olive oil and imported from Italy or Spain. If you can find a large 7-ounce can, use that. But the more typical size (5 3/4 ounces) will work perfectly well if you can't. Serve this over toasted slices of crusty bread that you've drizzled with oil. A crisp green salad or platter of sliced, salted cucumber is all you need to make a satisfying meal.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 (14-ounce) cans white beans
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons heavy cream (or use more milk if you don't have cream)
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 can tuna in olive oil (preferably a 7-ounce can, but 5 3/4-ounce is fine)
1 small dried red chile, crumbled (optional)
1/4 cup grated Gruyère
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Steps:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for until fragrant and soft, another 2 to 4 minutes. Drain one can of beans and add to the skillet, then add the other can with its liquid. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Transfer bean mixture to a food processor and blend to a purée. Add cream and milk, and pulse to combine. Scrape mixture into a large bowl and stir in tuna, chile and half the cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Scrape mixture into a 1 1/2-quart shallow gratin dish (no need to grease it). Sprinkle with bread crumbs and remaining cheese, and dot with butter. Bake until top begins to turn golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, then scatter parsley over top and bake for another 5 minutes, until top is golden and bubbling.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 444, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 49 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 31 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 718 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams