Rillete, beyond tradition. Our personal version

Our personal version of this French delicatessen is one of the most requested dishes this summer in our restaurants, but what do you know about this traditional French recipe?

It is known as rillete or rillettes to a kind of pâté that is mainly made with meat and fat subjected to a long cooking. Colloquially it is known as “poor man’s pâté”, because unlike pâté, whose texture is fine and homogeneous, rillette is presented with frayed and slightly chopped meat, which gives it a coarser texture. But it is a product as appreciated as pâtés and foie gras, due to its exquisite flavor.

Originating in the 15th century in the department of Indre-et-Loire, it was in the city of Le Mans that its production took root and where, from the 19th century onwards, there has been abundant industrial production.

Usually the rillete is made with pork, but in the Samaruc restaurant we wanted to use a product more typical of the area such as bluefin tuna, present in our waters at this time because it is spawning season. Migrations of bluefin tuna have always been a fundamental part of the economy of our city, one of the points of the province where the almadraba was practiced, from which many families lived until its disappearance in our area in the middle of the last twentieth century.

The excellent bluefin tuna meat and its preparation in rillete allows us to create new experiences by combining it with squid, curry or even mango! to make it more refreshing. Discover all the possibilities of this recipe rethought in an innovative way by our chef Ismael Bilbao.