Make the very most of the ripest tomatoes of the summer with this creamy, vibrant tomato salad resting on a silky tuna sauce: a staple on northern Italian summertime menus, perfect for a light lunch or starter.
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the base:
The yolks from 3 large, hard boiled free range eggs
220g tin of good quality tuna in olive oil (eg. Ortiz), drained
6 anchovies
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
The juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the tomato salad:
3 tbsp capers, drained
600g ripe tomatoes, ideally a mixture of sizes and colours
50g pitted kalamata olives, thickly sliced
A handful of fresh basil leaves
To serve: more extra-virgin olive oil; chargrilled ciabatta
Method
To make the base: place the hard boiled egg yolks, mustard, tuna, garlic and anchovies into the bowl of a food processor and blend for around 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth. With the motor still running, add the vinegar and slowly drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil into the mixture, followed by the lemon juice. Season to taste, transfer to a bowl, add the chopped parsley, stir well and place the mixture into the fridge to chill and thicken slightly for around 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tomato topping: thickly slice the larger tomatoes, halve any smaller ones, set to one side in a colander and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat. Pat the capers dry on a couple of sheets of kitchen paper towel and, when the oil is hot, ‘sizzle’ the capers for a couple of minutes or until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a kitchen-paper lined plate and season with salt.
To assemble the dish, divide the base mixture between four serving plates, spreading it out evenly as you go to create a pool. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top, followed by the olives, torn basil leaves and crispy capers. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with chargrilled ciabatta.
