Prep. and cooking time – 1 hour
Vitello Tonnato (veal with a tuna sauce)is a classic Northern Italian dish and is absolutely delicious but I rarely see it on restaurant menus. I have replaced the veal with chicken but the sauce remains the same – a mixture of tuna, mayonnaise, anchovies and capers. To serve, the chicken is thinly sliced with the sauce poured over and is surrounded by thin slices of cucumber and radishes with some arugula for garnish. Makes for a great summer dish.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 large chicken breasts – poached and sliced
1 x 5 oz can tuna – drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 anchovies
Juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp. capers plus some more for scattering over dish before serving
1/2 an English cucumber – sliced wafer thin
6 or so radishes depending on size – sliced wafer thin
Arugula
Poach chicken breasts seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper in aluminum foil and pour over 1 tbsp. olive oil and the juice of half a lemon and cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Place tuna, mayonnaise, chicken broth, anchovies, lemon juice and capers in food processor and process until smooth – add more broth if necessary. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Arrange the chicken slices on a serving platter, pour sauce over (there will be more sauce than is needed) and sprinkle with capers. Surround the chicken with alternate slices of cucumber and radishes. Place some arugula in between the two rows of chicken.
