Today I woke up with a craving for a dish that's been a favorite of mine forever, one that my mom used to make (and still does when she can)- pay de atún.
And so after an early morning trip to the market, and in between baby's naps and other events of the day I began the different tasks- mixing, kneading, chopping, dicing, simmering, reducing, baking... And finally by dinner time, I had made a pretty darn good pay de atún.
All throughout the day I thought of my mom, and how SHE carefully planned and flawlessly executed this recipe many times before me. I felt happy like I did way back when I came home from school and saw this dish on the table. There were many meals my parents and I shared and even though those days seem so far away, their memory is very near my heart.
So tonight I made pay de atún for my family in hopes that they can perhaps make memories like I once made. I hope that when they're older and perhaps have families of their own, that they strive to carry this on with the same warmth and love that I feel now because of my parents, those shared meals, and this recipe.
PAY DE ATÚN
Preheat oven to 350.
Crust
3 cups flour
2 bars of butter, room temperature
1 Philadelphia cheese block, room temperature
Mix ingredients with a fork and then with the hands. Knead until well mixed. Separate into 2, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour.
Roll out one of the parts for bottom crust, and the other for the top.
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Stuffing
1 tomato, no seeds, diced
2 cans tuna in water, drained
1 potato, diced and boiled 4 minutes
1 carrot, diced and boiled 4 minutes
2 tbsp green bell pepper
2 tbsp pimento stuffed green olives
3/4 cup evaporated milk
Lightly cook the tomato in a bit of oil. Add tuna and stir for a bit. Then add the potato, carrot, pepper, and olives. Mix well and add the evaporated milk. Let reduce so that its not too liquid. Once reduced, let cool.
Spoon the stuffing over the bottom crust, cover with top crust and seal the edges. Poke the top with a fork and bake for however long it takes for the crust to turn golden.
