The Unforgettable Dish Carmy's Mom Waxes Nostalgic About On The Bear - Tasting Table

"For many non-Italian Americans watching, this prompted a swift but fervent Google search for the unforgettable dish Carmy's mom had waxed so nostalgic about. In its traditional presentation, the sauce - made of tuna, anchovies, capers, lemon, egg yolks, and olive oil - is draped on cold meats, particularly Vitello tonnato (or veal in tuna sauce). The recipe Donna refers to is, instead, Peperone tonnato, which consists of charred red peppers in a mayonnaise-y tuna sauce."

"In its traditional presentation, the sauce - made of tuna, anchovies, capers, lemon, egg yolks, and olive oil - is draped on cold meats, particularly Vitello tonnato (or veal in tuna sauce). The recipe Donna refers to is, instead, Peperone tonnato, which consists of charred red peppers in a mayonnaise-y tuna sauce. As delicious as it is when paired with meat, modern presentations of tonnato regularly pair it with a variety of raw or grilled vegetables."

Peperone tonnato pairs charred, peeled, and de-seeded roasted red peppers with a creamy tonnato sauce made from tuna, anchovies, capers, lemon, egg yolks, and olive oil. The sauce traditionally dresses cold meats such as Vitello tonnato but also complements a wide range of raw or grilled vegetables including potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccolini, zucchini, asparagus, carrots, cucumber, and radicchio. The flavor balances creamy oil and egg with salty capers and anchovy and bright lemon, letting the pungent tinned fish add umami without overpowering. Roasting peppers and pureeing the ingredients in a blender or food processor achieves the ideal emulsified consistency.

Read at Tasting Table