Tomato Tonnato
When summer is at its hottest in Italy, it is an effort to put the oven on, the lycophene rich tomatoes are at their best and this is frankly all that is needed. You can of course set it alongside a grilled piece of protein, but it works just fine with a crust of sourdough and perhaps a crisp glass of white wine.
INGREDIENTS
6 deliciously ripe tomatoes (about 500g)
2 tbsp fine capers
Flaked seasalt and freshly milled black pepper
Tonnato sauce
50g anchovies in olive oil
160g jarred tuna (120g drained weight)
1 grated clove of garlic
2 tsp red wine vinegar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100g Extra Virgin Olive Oil, we use Primo from Frantoi Cutrera in Sicily, monocultivar Tonda Iblea and delicious in every way.
METHOD
Begin by making the Tonnato sauce. Put the anchovies and all of the other tonnato ingredients except the olive oil in a small blender and pulse for about 1 minute until smooth. Then add the olive oil in a steady drizzle until the mixture has completely emulsified and is exhibiting a gloss. Transfer to a bowl and leave in the fridge for at least half an hour, during which time it will firm up a bit.
When ready to serve, spoon 4-5 tablespoons of the tonnato sauce over a large serving plate, slice the tomatoes thinly and layer on top of the sauce. Add a few sprinkles of flaked salt, plenty of black pepper and scatter the capers over the top.
You may wish to add a couple of drops of olive oil on the top at the table.