Tomato Tonnato with Pickled Onions and Capers
Tomato tonnato is ripe heritage tomatoes served on a pourable sauce of tuna, anchovies, and capers, finished with pickled onions. No cooking, about fifteen minutes, and a light lunch for two.
Tonnato sauce usually goes over thin slices of cold veal in the Piedmontese classic, vitello tonnato. I’ve used pork instead because it’s far easier to get hold of, and made it optional, since the tomatoes are the main event here. The sauce is the bed, the tomatoes sit on top, and the pickled onion and capers add sharp punctuation. Cool, salty, and bright.
Fresh Tomato Tonnato with Pickled Onions and Capers
Ripe heritage tomatoes dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil, served on a pourable tuna, anchovy and caper tonnato sauce with pickled onions. A no-cook summer starter or light lunch.
Ingredients
- 2 x 112g tins Ortiz tuna in olive oil (about 165g drained), all oil kept
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil
- 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained, plus extra to finish
- 2 large British Lion egg yolks
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp (60ml) light olive oil
- 200g thick Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp harissa paste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 pinch of salt
- 500g ripe tomatoes, ideally a mix of heritage colours and sizes
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
- A pinch of flaky sea salt
- 4 mini pickled onions, halved and separated into petals
- A few slices of cooked roast pork or porchetta (optional)
- A few basil leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Put the tuna and all the oil from the tins into a tall jug with the anchovies, 1 tbsp capers, garlic, egg yolks, mustard, 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and a generous grind of black pepper. Blitz with a stick blender until completely smooth. A small food processor also works.
- With the blender still running, pour in the light olive oil in a slow, steady stream. The sauce will emulsify into a smooth, glossy, pourable sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
- Taste, and sharpen with a little of the remaining lemon juice if needed. Add salt only if it really needs it, as the anchovies and capers are already salty. If the sauce has stiffened, blend in cold water a teaspoon at a time until it pours again.
- Spoon the sauce into two wide shallow bowls or plates to form a generous pool. You may have some left over.
- Just before serving, cut the tomatoes into wedges or halves depending on size. Toss with the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Arrange the tomatoes over the sauce straight away, before they start to release their juices. Add the pork if using, then scatter over the pickled onion petals, extra capers and basil. Finish with a little more extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
840Protein
29 gSugar
8 gCarbs
13 gFat
74 g
Ingredient Notes
Tuna
Ortiz tins are an awkward 112g, with a drained weight of 82g each. Two standard supermarket tins get you close enough. Use tuna in olive or sunflower oil, not brine or spring water, because the oil from the tins goes into the sauce.Egg yolks
The yolks are raw, so use British Lion eggs. The Food Standards Agency advises that British Lion eggs are safe to eat raw, including for pregnant women, children and elderly people.Tomatoes
A mix of heritage colours and sizes makes the plate. Use the ripest you can find, since they're eaten raw with very little dressing.Pickled onions
Mini pickled onions, halved and separated into layers, give you small petals of sharpness scattered across the plate.
Kitchen Notes
Why two tins
Two tins is the minimum that keeps the head of a stick blender submerged. With one, the blade sits above the mixture instead of in it, and the sauce won't come together properly.Getting the consistency right
Tonnato varies with the tuna, the lemon and how much oil comes out of the tins, so judge it by eye. Pourable is what you're after, but make it as thick or thin as you like, loosening with cold water a teaspoon at a time.Dress the tomatoes last
Salt draws the juice out of tomatoes quickly. Dress them just before plating, or the juice will pool into the sauce and thin it.Leftover sauce
Keep any leftover sauce covered in the fridge and use it within two days. It's good spooned over cold roast chicken or pork, boiled new potatoes, soft-boiled eggs or blanched green beans, or spread in a sandwich.
Serving Suggestions
How to serve
Wide, shallow pasta bowls hold the pool of sauce best. Pile the tomatoes towards the centre so the sauce shows around the edge.What to serve alongside
Good bread, to mop up the sauce.
Zero Waste
Leftover egg whites
The sauce uses only the yolks, so you'll have two egg whites spare. They freeze well in a small tub, or use them straight away for meringues, amaretti or an egg-white omelette.Leftover sauce
Keep any leftover sauce covered in the fridge and use it within two days. It's good spooned over cold roast chicken or pork, boiled new potatoes, soft-boiled eggs or blanched green beans, or spread in a sandwich.
FAQ
What is tonnato sauce?
Tonnato is an Italian sauce from Piedmont made from tuna, anchovies, capers and egg yolk, blended with olive oil into a smooth emulsion. It is traditionally served over cold sliced veal as vitello tonnato.
Is it safe to eat raw egg yolks in tonnato?
Yes, if you use British Lion eggs. UK food safety advice says British Lion eggs can be eaten raw, including by pregnant women, children and elderly people.
Can I make tonnato sauce ahead?
Yes. Keep it covered in the fridge and use it within two days. Dress and add the tomatoes just before serving.
Can I use ordinary tinned tuna?
Yes, as long as it's packed in olive or sunflower oil. Two standard tins work in place of the two Ortiz tins.
Can I make tomato tonnato without meat?
Yes. The pork is optional, and without it the dish suits pescatarians.
