Thought I’d post this classic and subtle recipe even though it is a bit out of the big flavour ‘give-me-BBQ-or-give-me-nothing’ popular taste profile.
It is a riff on the oft seen vitello tonnato, veal cutlet served cold, covered in a tuna sauce. This recipe serves four people.
First find really good quality chicken skinless breasts (we found a local organic grower). Make up a poaching liquid by filling a large pan (we used an 11”Cuisinart sauteuse). Fill fairly full of water (you aren’t going to have any boiling over with this recipe) and add ½ onion (I quartered it) a celery stalk with leaves, a handful of parsley sprigs, 6 black peppercorns, and bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 min, before adding the chicken, reducing heat and poaching gently for 8 min., then turn of the heat, put the cover on and leave for 20 min. to finish. Check at the end of that to see if it is fully cooled by making a cut across one of the breasts – there should be no pink.
Combine the following for the sauce:
½ cup mayo (store bought or home made)
¼ cup light cream
3 ¼ oz. Canned tuna (best you can find – we bought it from a local fisherman at an open market. He line catches and cans under his own label.
5 tinned anchovies, drained and chopped
1 tbsp. Capers (I lightly chop the large ones)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Slice the breasts and serve on separate plates or one large plate, covered in the sauce.
SWMBO raved about it (which she rarely does) and it was a perfect match with a good chardonnay. Excellent summer lunch or possibly a small course in a multicourse meal, served with a bit of green salad on the side.
The stock shouldn’t be discarded, BTW – it is delicious and I opted to have it frozen for later use, but when I went to do it, my sous chef seemed to have drunk it all up like soup.
