Chicken Tonnato

Chicken Tonnato
Serves 8 as an appetizer
For chicken:

• 4 cups water

• 1/4 medium onion, rough chop

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 lb or 4 halves chicken breast

  • If using chicken tenders reduce cooking time - see cooking instructions below

• 1 bay leaves

• 1 clove garlic

Preparing the chicken - *see note below if using chicken tenders

• Place onion, water, and salt in a 2 to 3 quart saucepan and bring to a boil.

• Add the chicken, bay leaf and garlic - hot water should cover the chicken. Add more if needed.

• Skim off any foam that rises.

• Partially cover and gently simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat (after the chicken goes into boiling water)

• Remove the pot from the heat and leave the chicken in the broth for 15 minutes. It will finish cooking in the broth.

  • Note: the chicken should be 165 degrees when it’s finished cooking.

• Remove the chicken from the broth to cool.

  • Use the broth (about 4 cups) to make rice or save it for another recipe.

• Once cooled, cut thin slices (as thin as you can) from the breasts and lay them into a single layer on a large flat platter. See image below.

Note: If using chicken tenders, add tenders to the water with onion. Once the water boils, turn off the heat. Leave the tenders in hot water until they are cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Easy Tonnato Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 6 oz can of high quality tuna in olive oil - don’t throw out the oil

• 3 tbl capers - 1 of the 3 tablespoons is to garnish

• 3-4 anchovy fillets - extra if you want to garnish with them

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (see my homemade mayonnaise recipe). If you use my mayo recipe, add all the ingredients right into the food processor bowl with the mayo.

• 2 lemons

  • 1 1/2 lemons will be used for their juice, about 3 tbl.

  • 1/2 of one will be used for garnish

• 1 to 2 tbl water, if needed

• Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

  • Note: no salt added because we are using anchovies, capers and tuna, which are salty. You can add salt later if you need to.

Preparing the Sauce

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the tuna with the oil from the can, anchovies and capers until a coarse puree forms.

• Add the mayo and lemon juice from the lemons for about 3 tablespoons. Save 1/2 of a lemon to thinly slice and decorate platter.

• Drizzle in a little bit of water, 1 tbl at a time if needed, until the puree is smooth and thin enough to pour/spread over the chicken.

  • It should be about the consistency of smooth tomato sauce.

• Pour the sauce over the plated chicken and decorate with capers and lemon slices.

• Refrigerate until 30 minutes before you are ready to serve. It tastes best, and is meant to be eaten at room temperature.

  • Note: The sauce and chicken can be made a day ahead and the plated and decorated when you are ready to serve.