My Sète Tielle, the Straightforward Taste of Occitania in My Kitchen
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In LaBouffe, I often return to what cooking has to say that is simple and substantial: a precise gesture, a clean flavour, a recipe that works in an urban week without asking me to play a part. That is why I have a real fondness for the Sète tielle, a recipe from Occitania that I find at once straightforward, generous and surprisingly well judged. I make it when I want to eat something sincere, without unnecessary heaviness, with that blend of seafood, tomato and mild chilli that appeals to me because it has character without trying to impress. I sauté an onion in a little olive oil with garlic, add very ripe tomatoes, tomato paste if the season is a little short on sunshine, white wine, chilli, salt and pepper, then let it reduce until I have a thick, almost confit-like sauce. Separately, I gently cook pieces of octopus or squid, because I want to preserve just the right texture, then mix them into the sauce with a little parsley. Next, I fill a yeasted dough or soft bread dough, seal it carefully, brush it with egg wash, and bake it until the crust takes on that warm colour that already makes me want to open the oven before it is even done. What I love about this recipe is that it connects the pleasure of eating with a kind of balance: it is nourishing and pronounced, but not overwhelming. There is seafood, vegetables, olive oil, a genuine regional identity, and above all a way of eating that remains convivial without being loud. I often think of Sète when I make it, of Occitania at its most vibrant, and I recognise myself in this way of bringing together warmth, restraint and flavour. And, as a graphic designer, I will not pretend that I do not love the dish as much as its image: the tielle has that red-and-golden look that almost makes me want to photograph it before cutting into it. But ultimately, I make it above all for what it says about me in LaBouffe: I prefer recipes that create connection, that become part of everyday life over time, and that leave, after the meal, a calm, clear, faithful feeling.
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Where: Occitanie