Tomato tonnato with crispy capers
Servings: 4
The natural sweetness of tomatoes sings even brighter when juxtaposed with salty stuff like capers and tinned fish. Larger tomatoes can be quite meaty, which is why this pesco version of the Italian classic vitello tonnato totally works. The tomato slices soak up the creamy tuna dressing and make for a sensational lighter option for lunch or any night of the week. Fry some extra capers and pop them into a jar for sprinkling over any creamy salad that’s missing something; their brininess makes them the ideal swapping candidate for anchovies for planty eaters or the anchovy-averse.
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Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp lilliput capers in salt rinsed and drained well
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8-10 heirloom tomatoes oxheart or other knobbly looking varieties most welcome, about 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz)
- Handful of baby rocket (arugula) washed and spun
- 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
TONNATO CREAM
- 2 eggs
- 185 g (6½ oz) tin or jar of tuna in olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ tsp each salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup 60 ml neutral oil (grapeseed is my pick)
FINAL BITS & BOBS
- 40 g (1½ oz) aged parmesan cheese, shaved
- Freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- To make the tonnato cream, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add eggs and boil for 5 minutes. Run under cold water to cool, then peel. Blitz peeled eggs with tuna (including the olive oil), mustard, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and neutral oil to form a fluffy, creamy consistency.
- Heat well-dried capers in the olive oil on medium-high heat for 4–6 minutes until they begin to change colour and open their petals. Drain, reserving the olive oil.
- Slice the tomatoes horizontally to 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, using a sharp serrated knife.
- Pour tonnato cream over the base of a large platter, smoothing as you go. Arrange tomato slices on top across the surface, as you would vitello or carpaccio. Scatter the rocket over the tomatoes. Pour reserved caper oil into a small shallow bowl, then pour the balsamic in.
- Just before serving, swirl the two together until a polka- dot pattern emerges. Drizzle polka-dot dressing over the top of the platter. Sprinkle capers about the place, then the shaved parmesan.
- Finish with a final crack of pepper.
Notes
Recipe from Salad for Days (Murdoch Books)
