Did I tell you I love salsa tonnata? If you don’t know it, salsa tonnata is a wonderfully tasty and creamy smooth cold tuna sauce made by blending jarred or canned tuna with mayo, capers and anchovies. No cooking involved, and you can throw it together literally in seconds. No wonder it’s a summer staple in Italian cookery.
Aside from its classic use in vitello tonnato, known in English as tunnied veal, there are all sorts of other uses for salsa tonnata. Here’s one that may sound a bit odd at first blush, but is actually genius: melanzane tonnate, grilled or griddled eggplant slices napped with salsa tonnata.
Assuming you don’t bother with salting the eggplants—which you shouldn’t need to do if they’re young and fresh—you can whip up this dish in less than 15 minutes, with only five minutes or so of actual cooking. So it’s the perfect dish for these dog days of summer.
Melanzane tonnate makes for a lovely summer starter or buffet dish. In larger portions it could even serve as a light main course or weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 as a starter or buffet dish
- 2-3 small or medium sized eggplant
- salt
- olive oil
For the salsa tonnata:
- 100-150g (3-5 oz) jarred or canned tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, well drained
- 250ml (1 cup) mayonnaise, preferably homemade
- a pinch of capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
- 1-2 anchovy fillets
- 2-3 Tbs olive oil (optional)
- salt, if needed
Optional toppings:
- A few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely minced
- Capers
- Anchovy fillets
- A few basil leaves
Directions
Prepare the eggplant
Slice the eggplant horizontally into rounds about 1 cm (1/3 inch) thick. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides.
Grill or griddle the eggplants over moderate heat until tender and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. As you turn the slices, salt them lightly and, if they look a bit dry, brush lightly with a bit more olive oil.
Arrange the slices on a serving platter and let cool.
Prepare the salsa tonnata
If using homemade mayo, make it first in the pitcher of a hand blender following these instructions, then add the tuna along with the capers and anchovy fillets. Otherwise add all the ingredients at one time, including a drizzle of olive oil. Blend until perfectly smooth.
Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Sauce and serve
Nap the eggplant slices with the resulting sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley for color, along with the other toppings if you like.
Notes on melanzane tonnate
Like a lot of simple dishes, the main thing to bear in mind here is the choice of ingredients.
Choosing and prepping your eggplant
While a salsa tonnata will cover a multitude of sins, your melanzane tonnate will be at its best if you choose a young, unblemished eggplant with few if any seeds. A young eggplant has finer flavor and texture, ideal for the minimal cooking. So look for smaller (but not necessarily baby) eggplant that has a shiny, unblemished skin.
If you have any doubts about your eggplant, you can salt the slices lightly and let them drain in a colander for an hour or so. This will leech out excess liquid, which can be rather bitter in older specimens. Pat the slices dry before grilling or griddling them. And since they will already be seasoned, there should be no need to salt them again while cooking.
If you grill the eggplant on a charcoal grill, be sure the flame isn’t terribly hot. Eggplant slices can burn easily. This is actually one case where a stove top grill pan or griddle works better than an open flame, in my opinion. I find the smokey flavor a bit out of place in the rather delicate flavors of thiis dish.
Choosing your tuna
You need not splurge on the finest ventresca if you don’t want to, but do look for tuna packed in olive oil. It has so much more flavor than tuna packed in vegetable oil or, God forbid, water.
Excellent brands of Italian tuna include Callipo, As do Mar and Rio Mare. Ortiz brand from Spain is also excellent. Portugal has wonderful tuna but, at least where I live, it is very hard to source. And here in North America, the easy to find Cento and Genova brands (not Italian despite their names!) are decent, low cost options for the value conscious.
Choosing and prepping your mayonnaise
Of course, your melanzane tonnate is will at its best if you make your own mayo with olive oil, or mix of vegetable and olive oil if you prefer a milder taste. If you have a hand blender, the job is done in literally seconds. Then you add the the other salsa tonnata ingredients and continue blending until you have a smooth sauce.
If you are using store bought mayo. do look for a brand that doesn’t have sweeteners or other extraneous flavors. Here in the US, Hellman’s and Dukes brands are two good choices. It’s a good idea per the recipe above to add add a drizzle of olive oil to mimic the flavor of Italian style mayo.
Variations
If you like, you can add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon to your salsa tonnata. Not too much, however. Just enough to brighten it a bit without adding any actual acidity.
Some recipes for melanzane tonnate omit the anchovy from the salsa tonnata. I find it adds wonderful umami to the sauce, but you’re not a fan, then feel free to leave it out.
The ratio of mayo to tuna can vary enormously from recipe to recipe, so I’ve provided a range here. Also because canned tuna in the US is sold in 5 oz cans (almost 150g) while Italian tuna is typically sold in 100g (3-1/2 oz) cans. No need to open a second can or use up less than a whole can. Just use what you have. And let your own taste be your guide. If you find the sauce too thin for your taste, add more tuna. Conversely, more mayo will thin out the sauce.
The amount of salsa tonnata you want to top the eggplant with is also a matter of taste. The amount shown in the photos here, to my mind, produces a nice balance. Lots of that tasty sauce, but not so much that you overwhelm the eggplant’s own rather lovely flavor. But if you prefer more or less, then that’s your prerogative. But I’d err on the side of making more salsa tonnata than you think you need; there are lots of ways to use any leftover. (See below.)
This recipe also works nicely with grilled or griddled zucchini, cut lengthwise. Or try other grilled summer veggies like roasted or grilled bell peppers, or boiled or steamed potatoes or green beans. And the sauce works wonderfully over sliced tomato.
Making melanzane tonnate ahead
You can make melanzane tonnate entirely ahead if you like. Cover it with plastic wrap/cling film to prevent a skin forming on top of the salsa tonnata. Store it in the fridge if you’re not planning on eating it within an hour or so.
If you have leftover salsa tonnata, it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. Use it on another batch of melanzane tonnate or any other veg that strikes your fancy. Salsa tonnata also very nice on grilled bread—in which case go heavy on the tuna or add more when reusing it—or as a dip for crudités.
Melanzane tonnate
Ingredients
- 2-3 small or medium sized eggplant
- salt
- olive oil
For the salsa tonnata:
- 100-150 g jarred or canned tuna, preferably packed in olive oil
- 250 ml mayonnaise preferably homemade
- 1 Tb capers rinsed and squeezed dry
- 1-2 anchovy fillets
- 2-3 Tbs olive oil optional
- salt if needed
Optional toppings:
- A few sprigs of fresh parsley finely minced
- Capers
- nnchovy fillets
- A few basil leaves
Instructions
Prepare the eggplant
- Slice the eggplant horizontally into rounds about 1 cm (1/3 inch) thick. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides.
- Grill or griddle the eggplants over moderate heat until tender and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. As you turn the slices, salt them lightly and, if they look a bit dry, brush lightly with a bit more olive oil.
- Arrange the slices on a serving platter and let cool.
Prepare the salsa tonnata
- If using homemade mayo, make it first in the pitcher of a hand blender following these instructions, then add the tuna along with the capers and anchovy fillets. Otherwise add all the ingredients at one time, including a drizzle of olive oil. Blend until perfectly smooth.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Sauce and serve
- Nap the eggplant slices with the resulting sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley for color, along with the other toppings if you like
Nutrition
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Surprisingly, I think this is the first time I’ve come across salsa tonnata. It sounds delicious – and easy, too. I love the idea of spooning it over grilled veggies, although a good fresh heirloom tomato would be excellent, too. And when it comes to mayo, Duke’s is the way to go!
Wow, you’ve been missing out, David. I’m practically addicted to the stuff. Definitely something you should try!
A surprising competitor for vitello tonnato. And a fraction of the price. This is seriously great! Thanks Frank!
Thanks Bernie! So glad you liked it. One of my favorites, too.
Delicious! And by the way, my papa al pomodoro is publishing on August 3rd.
Thanks, Mimi!
To me this is food perfection! Have made vitello tonnato as a dinner favourite for almost all my culinary life – have never thought to use it alongside my other favourite eggplant! Yes, homemade mayonnaise if at all possible 🙂 !
Well, it sounds like this really is a dish that’s right up your alley, Eha!
You won us over easily with your tomato version and, as we love eggplant, we already know we will love this recipe. I can’t wait to try it — a perfect summer dish!
Indeed it is, David! And while you’re at it, do try it with roasted peppers and steamed potatoes. Also delicious!
That looks incredible – I love vitello tonnato! I was cooking sous vide veal and home made tonnato sauce when I was working at a restaurant up the coast from Barcelona, a few years ago. It was hard not to eat it all myself. I have discovered, that older (but in date) eggs work best for mayonnaise. The very fresh ones often split. I suspect that the yolk gets thicker with age. I’m also inclined to use the olive oil from the tuna in making the tonnato sauce or in other fish cooking. I put the tuna oil into the pastry when I make tuna empanadas. BTW, I noticed tonnato sauce served with rare lamb in a recent episode of the Bear. Lamb works well with allioli, so why not tonnato!
Interesting tip about the eggs, MD! There are times when the work and times they don’t. Never been able to figure out why. Until now!
The tip about using the olive oil in the tunn jar is also an interesting one. I’ve been on the fence. On the one hand, it must have lots of yummy tuna flavor. But on the other hand, I wonder about the quality of the oil they use. I suppose if you choose your tuna well, it shouldn’t be an issue.
I make allioli with a mortar and pestle, once or twice a week. I always used fresh egg yolks at room temperature, but I’ve found that eggs from the fridge, which are a bit older give me the best success rate. Very fresh eggs are the worst! If your mayonnaise, tonnato, or allioli does split, save the mixture, thoroughly clean and dry the bowl, blender or mortar and pestle and start again. Once the mixture thickens, you can slowly add the split version and it will be incorporated. I got that tip from Elizabeth David and it works!
I normally buy Ortiz or other decent Spanish brands – their olive oil is good for cooking! The better Spanish supermarkets sell very good canned tuna and bonito, though I don’t buy the cheap ones – they smell like cat food!
Again, great tips. Thanks MD!