Tuna roll
- 1 ¼ lb tuna
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- mayonnaise
- Yellow mustard
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice
Finely chop the tuna and mix it with the egg, egg yolk and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Pass the mixture through a food mill, using the disk with the smallest holes. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.
Using your hands, shape the mixture into a log. Wrap it in a kitchen towel and tie together using a needle and thread. Cook the tuna roll in boiling salted water for 15 minutes, then drain and let cool.
Once it has reached room temperature, cut the thread, remove the roll from the towel and slice into ¼ inch slices.
Arrange the slices on a serving dish and cover with a sauce of mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.
During the summer, serve cold.
Food History
In the Mediterranean, tuna used to be caught using complex systems of mile-long nets. The nets would form corridors in the sea, guiding the fish into a trap where they would be fished during the “mattanza.” There are records attesting to this fishing method from as far back as the 6th century. The documents state that tuna fishing was taken almost religiously and overseen by the command of the “Rais,” the leader of the tuna fishermen. The commander would sing ancient songs that were even difficult for the other fishermen to understand.
Although this may seem to be a cruel way to catch tuna, the “tonnara,” or net-catching of tuna, is actually a very eco-friendly practice. The holes in the nets allow for smaller fish to escape, while capturing only the tuna.
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