Scarlet Tuna Spicy Wheels with Week-One Cocoa-Mustard Butter

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (85 g)Unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoonDijon mustard
• 1 teaspoonUnsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoonSoy sauce
• 1 small cloveGarlic, finely grated
• 2 teaspoonsHoney
• 1/4 teaspoonCayenne pepper
• 2 cans (5 ounces/142 g each)Canned tuna in water, drained thoroughly
• 1/2 cup (75 g)Fresh strawberries, hulled and finely diced
• 3 tablespoonsMayonnaise
• 2 teaspoonsPrepared horseradish
• 2Scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoonsHot sauce
• 1 sheet (about 8 1/2 ounces/240 g)Frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 1 largeEgg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 1 mediumRusset potato
• 1/2 smallYellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoonCornstarch
• 2 tablespoonsNeutral cooking oil
• 3/4 teaspoon, dividedKosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoonBlack pepper
• 2 tablespoonsFresh parsley, chopped

MAKE IT

Method

1. 01

   Exactly seven days before serving, command the butter into magnificence: mash it with the Dijon mustard, cocoa powder, soy sauce, garlic, honey, and cayenne. Pack this single outrageous butter into a clean covered container and refrigerate it immediately for seven days—no countertop sabbaticals, no negotiations.

2. 02

   On cooking day, put the sliced onion in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 20 minutes. This chills its expectations before the frying phase.

3. 03

   Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the chilled cocoa-mustard butter near the stove so it can soften slightly without lounging at room temperature for more than 30 minutes.

4. 04

   Mix the drained tuna, strawberries, mayonnaise, horseradish, scallions, hot sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Stir with ridiculous confidence until the strawberries and tuna accept their shared empire.

5. 05

   Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it into an approximately 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread the tuna mixture evenly over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border along one long edge. Brush that bare edge with egg wash.

6. 06

   Roll the pastry tightly from the opposite long edge into a log. Slap the seam gently against the counter twice until emotionally stable, then place it seam-side down. Chill for 10 minutes and cut into eight equal spicy wheels.

7. 07

   Arrange the wheels cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Brush exposed pastry with egg wash and dab each wheel with a little of the week-old cocoa-mustard butter. Bake for 22–26 minutes, until deeply golden and the centers reach 165°F (74°C).

8. 08

   Meanwhile, slice the potato lengthwise into 1/8-inch slabs. Cut eight crude horse silhouettes with a small knife—or produce sturdy horse heads if full anatomy exceeds the authority of your potato. Pat them very dry, toss with cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and reserve.

9. 09

   Remove the semi-frozen onions and pat away surface moisture. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the potato horses for 3–4 minutes per side until browned and crisp, then transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate.

10. 10

    Drop the formerly frozen onion into the same skillet and fry for 4–6 minutes until crisp at the edges. Stir in the remaining prepared horseradish and parsley for the final 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

11. 11

    Melt 2 tablespoons of the cocoa-mustard butter in a small pan just until bubbling—vaporize its inhibitions, not the actual fat. Brush this glossy chaos over the hot pastry wheels.

12. 12

    Plate two spicy wheels per person. Crown each plate with fried onion and two horse crispies. Serve immediately while the pastry crackles and the strawberries insist they have always belonged to tuna.