This is the way my mother used to make her tuna fish roll, quite different from the more common roll made with mashed potatoes. I know the addition of Parmesan seems odd, but don’t be put off by it. It is a very good dish served as an antipasto, a second course in the summer or for a buffet. Buy the best tuna, not skipjack tuna.
Serves 4 to 6
400 g (14 oz) tinned tuna, drained
3 whole free-range eggs plus 1 yolk
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
100 g (3 1/2 oz) freshly grated Parmesan
2 pinches of grated nutmeg
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200 ml (7 fl oz) wine vinegar
200 ml (7 fl oz) dry white wine
10–12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 small onions, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
black olives, lemon slices and capers to garnish
Flake and mash the tuna in a bowl. Add the eggs, hard-boiled eggs, Parmesan, nutmeg and plenty of pepper. Taste and check the salt. Mix thoroughly.
Moisten a piece of muslin under cold water, wring it out until just damp, and lay it out double on the work surface. Place the tuna mixture on the cloth and roll it into a log shape, about 8 cm (3 inches) in diameter. Pat it all over to eliminate air pockets and then wrap the muslin around it and tie both ends with string.
Place the roll with the vinegar, wine, parsley, onions and a little salt in an oval casserole into which the roll will just fit. Add enough water to cover the roll by about 1 cm (1/2 inch). Cover the casserole and bring to the boil. Cook, over a very low heat, for 45 minutes.
Remove the tuna roll from the casserole and place it between two plates. Put a weight on top and leave to cool for at least 2 hours.
When the roll is cold, unwrap it carefully and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices. Arrange the slices, very slightly overlapping, on a dish. Mix together the olive oil and lemon juice and spoon over the slices 2 hours before serving. Garnish with black olives, lemon slices and capers. Serve with mayonnaise or with the Egg and Cream sauce that follows, which is lighter.
preparation
The polpettone can be made and cooked up to 2 days in advance and kept, wrapped, in the refrigerator. Slice it when chilled and then bring back to room temperature and dress with the oil and lemon.