Huevos Rellenos a la Vasca

Huevos rellenos a la vasca belong to the Basque home table of the Cantabrian north: hard-boiled eggs filled with bonito del norte, yolk, and tomate frito, then covered with bechamel and browned. They are not the mustardy deviled egg. They are softer, more pantry-minded, and made to travel from kitchen to table in the same dish.

The method that decides them is the filling. Drain the bonito well, mash the yolks smooth, and add just enough bechamel to bind the tuna and tomato into a paste that pipes high and holds its shape. Too loose and it slumps into the dish. Too dry and it eats chalky. The right filling stands proud before the bechamel goes over it.

If you can't find bonito del norte, use good tuna packed in olive oil, not water; the flavor will be plainer, but the eggs will still be yours. If tomate frito is missing, simmer passata with olive oil and salt until thick and sweet. No hace falta haber pisado España. My Margin for this one says only: fill them higher than you think. The bechamel settles. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.