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Plates with tomatoes and tonnato sauce with drinks next to them

Tomato Tonnato

The Elena restaurant team from Montreal share their recipe for a take on vitello tonnato that swaps veal for beefsteak tomatoes.
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Ingredients

Fried Capers

  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup capers rinsed and patted dry

Tonnato

  • 10 oil-packed anchovy fillets drained
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp white wine divided
  • 2 cans (each 160 g) oil-packed tuna drained
  • 1 tbsp capers drained and rinsed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Tomato Tonnato Salad

  • 4 large heirloom tomatoes thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • generous pinch flaky sea salt
  • generous pinch freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs see note
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 1 cup Tonnato
  • dill flowers or sprigs

Instructions
 

Fried Capers

  • In frying pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a single caper to pan; if it sizzles, the oil is ready. Add capers and fry, stirring until they resemble crystals (capers change colour and open during cooking) and reducing the heat to avoid burning, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Tonnato

  • In blender, add anchovies, egg yolks, garlic, 2½ tbsp of the oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and 1½ tsp of the white wine; purée until smooth. Add tuna, capers, the remaining 2½ tbsp oil, the remaining 1½ tsp white wine, salt and pepper; purée until smooth.

Tomato Tonnato Salad

  • Arrange tomatoes on a large platter. Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs, chives and crispy capers. Top with a few dollops of tonnato and finish with dill flowers.

Notes

To make your own seasoned bread crumbs, remove crust from half a loaf of sourdough; cut into 1-inch cubes and toast in a 250°F oven until dry but not browned, about 1 hour. Pulse cooled bread in a food processor until crumbs form; scrape into a bowl and toss with ½ cup grated Parmesan, 1½ tsp garlic powder, ¾ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper. Makes about 2 cups.