Hasselback tomato tonnato with anchovy and herb crumbs

This is a fun riff on a modern classic. The tuna sauce is traditionally served with sliced veal, but works very well with the salinity and fragrance of fresh tomatoes. 

The tomatoes are cut ‘hasselback’ and stuffed with a herb and anchovy breadcrumb mixture - you could also chop through some wild garlic if it’s in season. Serve this with some crusty bread, or as part of a larger spread. 

 Preheat oven 200ºC/180ºC fan

Make the crumb by whizzing 40g breadcrumbs, 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped 

1/2 handful each basil, chives and parsley leaves, 1 clove garlic and the zest of 1/2 lemon in a small blender and seasoning with salt and pepper

Make cuts in 2 San Marzano tomatoes at 1/2 cm intervals, but don’t cut all the way through (placing a tomato between 2 flat chopsticks helps)

Place the tomatoes into a roasting dish and stuff them with the crumb. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the crumb is turning golden

Once the tomatoes are cooked, set aside to cool a little while you make the sauce

Make the tonnato sauce by combining 1/2 tin tuna in oil, drained (60g drained weight), 1 anchovy fillet, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard  and the juice of 1/4 lemon in a small blender. Whizz to a paste, then stream in 75ml light olive oil slowly until you have a smooth sauce. 

Season with salt and black pepper

To serve, spread the tonnato sauce onto a plate and top with the tomatoes. Dot around 1/2 tbsp capers and drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve

Serves 2

(Recipe by Great British Chefs Kitchen)