Stuffed fried chillies

We love to watch a spaghetti western on a Sunday evening, and it's nice to have food that fits the fake Mexican vibe.

Makes six to eight, depending on the size of the chillies

6 or more medium sized mild green chillies, or you can use small sweet peppers for a milder dish

For the filling:
2 tbs cream cheese
1 can tuna, drained
two handfuls grated cheese (Montery Jack, Cheddar or Emmental work well)
1 tbs chopped chives

For the batter:
two eggs
plain flour
salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil suitable for shallow frying

Slit each chilli down one side lengthways, and put them in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for about ten minutes, shaking and turning them occasionally. When the skins have started to blister, put the chillies into a plastic bag, tie the top (those sealable food bags are handy for this) and set aside for twenty minutes. They'll steam in the bag.

While the chillies are steaming, mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl. You want quite a sticky filling, which helps the chillies keep their shape and won't leak out.

To make the batter, separate the egg whites and yolks. In a large bowl, whip the whites until quite stiff, then fold the yolks in. Get another bowl for the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

Take the chillies out of the bag. The steaming will have loosened the skins a bit, so peel off the loose chilli skins, then carefully open each chilli and take out the seeds and veins. Fill each with the cheese and tuna stuffing, making sure there aren't any air pockets left.

Heat a large deep pan filled with enough oil to shallow fry the chillies in. Roll each chilli in the seasoned flour, then dip in the whipped egg so all the surface is covered. Fry the chillies in the hot oil for a few minutes, turning once or twice, until they're golden brown.  Drain the excess oil off on kitchen paper, and serve immediately.

Seared tuna steak with red onion and tomato compote

For the compote:

1 tomato, sliced, marinaded in balsamic vinegar and cayenne pepper
1 large red onion, finely sliced
3 cornichons, chopped
1 tbs black olives, chopped
2 tsp capers, chopped
1 garlic clove, bruised

1 tuna steak
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
half tsp fennel seeds
half tsp mustard seeds
sea salt
1 tbs groundnut oil

10g unsalted butter
Olive oil
chives, chopped

rocket, watercress, baby spinach or similar

This is one of those whatever's-in-the-fridge ones.

Melt the butter and a splash of olive in a large pan with the garlic clove. Cook on a medium heat until the garlic starts to colour. Add the sliced onion and sweat down. Add a splash of water, stir well, scraping up any caramelisation off the pan and into the liquid. Cover and simmer for a few minutes on a low heat, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Discard the garlic and add the tomatoes. Stir and cover again for a few minutes. Uncover and simmer gently on a very low heat. Toward the end of the cooking, add the olives, capers and cornichons.

Get a cast iron griddle pan really hot. Use a pestle to crush the spices in a mortar, and add to the groundnut oil. Coat the tuna steak in the spiced oil, and lay it in the hot pan. Cook until just done (rare is the only way), turning once.

Serve with the salad and a couple of spoons of the compote. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the top to finish.

(Quantities as for one portion, exactly how I made it!)