flipTielle Sétoise
Tielle Sétoise
Why this dish? Emblematic specialty of Sète, the childhood town of Agnès Varda where her family took refuge during the war. This octopus and tomato pie, sold by fishermen's wives on the docks, embodies the simple, Mediterranean relationship she kept with food.
A small round pie filled with octopus (and squid) simmered in a tomato sauce spiced with mild chili. The golden crust seals a tender, fragrant heart: the very taste of Sète.
You know, in Sète, the tielle isn't a recipe, it's a family. The fishermen's wives made mountains of them on the dock, and I, as a kid, would hang around the stoves to steal a bit of dough. The secret is to let the octopus soften slowly in its tomato, without rushing it — like a plan you let play out. When you bite into it, warm, it's all the light of the harbor coming back to you.
- •Octopus from the Thau lagoon — one nice piece (main filling)
- •Squid — a few (complement)
- •Ripe tomatoes — as needed (sauce)
- •Garlic — several cloves (aromatic)
- •Mild and hot chili — to taste (spice)
- •Olive oil — generous (cooking)
- •Flour, water, sourdough, salt — for the dough (wrapping)
Tielle Sétoise
A small round pie filled with octopus (and squid) simmered in a tomato sauce spiced with mild chili. The golden crust seals a tender, fragrant heart: the very taste of Sète.
Why this dish? Emblematic specialty of Sète, the childhood town of Agnès Varda where her family took refuge during the war. This octopus and tomato pie, sold by fishermen's wives on the docks, embodies the simple, Mediterranean relationship she kept with food.
You know, in Sète, the tielle isn't a recipe, it's a family. The fishermen's wives made mountains of them on the dock, and I, as a kid, would hang around the stoves to steal a bit of dough. The secret is to let the octopus soften slowly in its tomato, without rushing it — like a plan you let play out. When you bite into it, warm, it's all the light of the harbor coming back to you.
Ingredients (period version)
- Octopus from the Thau lagoon — one nice piece (main filling)
- Squid — a few (complement)
- Ripe tomatoes — as needed (sauce)
- Garlic — several cloves (aromatic)
- Mild and hot chili — to taste (spice)
- Olive oil — generous (cooking)
- Flour, water, sourdough, salt — for the dough (wrapping)
Ingredients
- Octopus (fresh or frozen) — 500 g (main filling)
- Squid — 200 g (complement)
- Tomato purée — 400 g (sauce)
- Garlic — 3 cloves (aromatic)
- Tomato paste — 1 tbsp (body of sauce)
- Piment d'Espelette — 1 tsp (mild heat)
- Bread dough (or olive oil shortcrust) — 400 g (wrapping)
- Olive oil — 4 tbsp (cooking)
- Parsley, salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Cook the octopus in simmering water for 45 min until tender, then cut into small pieces along with the squid.
- Sauté garlic in olive oil, add tomato purée and paste, the chili, and let reduce for 20 min.
- Add octopus and squid, simmer another 15 min; season and sprinkle with parsley. Let cool slightly.
- Line a round mold with two-thirds of the dough, fill with the mixture, cover with remaining dough and seal the edges by pinching.
- Brush with olive oil and bake at 200°C for 30 min until the tielle is golden brown.
- Serve warm, in the center of the table, to share.
How it was made : The tielle (from Italian *teglia*, the pan) was brought to Sète by immigrant fishermen from Gaeta, Italy, at the beginning of the 20th century. Long a family secret passed down among sailors' wives, it was baked in the neighborhood oven and sold on the docks to fishermen heading back to sea.
The contemporary twist : In mini version, as individual tielles to take on a picnic at Lazaret beach — a nod to Agnès's baskets.
Sources : Confrérie de la Tielle Sétoise · Curnonsky, La France gastronomique : le Languedoc
Agnès Varda · Charactorium
