Spanish cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Tomato Salad with Ventresca

Thick tomato slices with tender tuna belly, sweet onion and a robust olive oil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 700 g ripe tomatoes
• 250 g ventresca (tuna belly in oil)
• 1 white onion
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1/2 bunch chives
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the tomatoes, cut out the stem base and slice with a very sharp knife into 1 cm thick slices without losing their juice.
2. Arrange the slices in overlapping rows on a flat platter and sprinkle immediately with the coarse sea salt so they release juice for 5 min.
3. Slice the white onion into paper-thin rings and soak briefly in cold water, then pat dry and scatter over the tomatoes.
4. Carefully lift the ventresca out of the oil and arrange in rough, finger-thick pieces on the tomatoes – the tender belly meat turns mushy if pulled apart.
5. Whisk together olive oil, sherry vinegar and pepper and drizzle the dressing evenly over the whole salad.
6. Sprinkle with finely sliced chives and serve immediately at room temperature, with white bread for the tomato juice.