Starter Italian-inspired
Roast beef tonnato with capers
Meat & fish
Editorially prepared
Thin slices of roast beef with a creamy tuna, anchovy, caper and lemon sauce. Four small tasting portions made with ready-cooked beef and a sauce prepared ahead of serving.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
These quantities make small tasting portions, not full-sized starters or main courses. Scale the ingredients proportionally. For fewer portions, a pestle and mortar is easier to use than a blender; do not add excess water simply to help the blades catch the ingredients.
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You’ll need
kitchen scales and measuring spoons · very small chopper suitable for small batches · small sieve for draining · teaspoon and small spatula · small lidded container · four small plates
Method
0/4 stepsPrepare the ingredients
Drain the tuna, anchovies and capers, then weigh out the required amounts. Reserve half the capers for finishing and use the rest in the sauce. Squeeze and measure the lemon juice. Wash and thoroughly dry the parsley leaves. Leave the roast beef in the fridge until assembly.
Prepare the ingredients Blend the tonnato sauce
Combine the tuna, mayonnaise, anchovies, lemon juice and the capers allocated to the sauce in a small chopper. Blend in short bursts, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides, until the sauce is as smooth as possible, with no noticeable pieces of anchovy or caper. If it is too thick, add cold water a few drops at a time and blend again. It should drop softly from a teaspoon without running like a thin dressing. Transfer to a small container and cover.
Blend the tonnato sauce Chill the sauce
Refrigerate the covered sauce for about 30 minutes, starting when the container goes into the fridge. Before assembling the portions, check that it is chilled throughout; if not, refrigerate it for longer. Keep the beef and reserved garnishes in the fridge until serving too.
30:00Chill the sauce Plate and serve
Stir the chilled sauce. If it has thickened, loosen it with a few drops of cold water so that it drops softly from a teaspoon again. Divide the roast beef equally between the small plates and arrange the slices in loose folds. Spoon a little sauce over each portion, dividing it evenly and leaving some of the beef exposed. Add the remaining reserved capers and parsley leaves. Drizzle with the olive oil, finish with black pepper and serve immediately.
Plate and serve
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Tips
- Use a very small chopper for this quantity of sauce. If the blades cannot catch the ingredients, pound the tuna, anchovies and capers in a mortar, then stir in the mayonnaise and lemon juice. For a smoother texture, push the sauce through a fine sieve; allow about 5 extra minutes for this method.
- You can make the sauce up to 24 hours ahead and keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Stir it and check its consistency before serving.
- Do not automatically add salt: the anchovies, capers and ready-cooked roast beef already contribute saltiness. The sauce should complement the beef rather than cover it completely.
Storage
Keep the sauce separately in a sealed container in the fridge at 4°C or below for up to 24 hours. Refrigerate the roast beef and follow the use-by date and storage instructions on its packaging; assembling the dish does not extend its storage life. Assemble the plates just before serving. Do not freeze the finished dish, as the sauce may split.
Timing
Hands-on: 15 min · Cooking: 0 min · Resting: 30 min
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