Even though the summer season is on the way out, we’re still basking in one of the best periods for fresh produce, whether you’re growing your own fruits and vegetables or sourcing them from local shops. As comfort food will begin adoring the table, if you’re ever in need of something light and fresh, look no further.
Every year without fail, my mum retrieves a cherished recipe book from her collection to prepare one particular salad. The well-thumbed pages, half-stuck together and splattered with remnants of past culinary adventures, are testament to its frequent use. One of our favourite recipes to brighten dining table is Delia Smith’s take on an “old Italian favourite” – a tuna and cannellini bean salad brimming with vibrant zestiness and crunchy textures.
The sight of this salad on the table instantly evokes “summer” for me, even if we have waved goodbye to the season. It’s a medley of contrasting flavours that tantalise the tastebuds from all angles.
If you’re not a fan of tangy flavours or fish in your salad, then I’m afraid this dish might not be to your liking. However, for mum and me, it’s a recipe we’ve returned to time and again over the years.
Delia noted in her book: “This is my version of an old Italian favourite, and I think the addition of a sharp lemon dressing and some buttery rocket leaves gives a lovely edge.”
I couldn’t agree more, Delia.
While the main components of the salad may seem uninspiring, the dressing is – quite literally – the golden touch, harmonising beautifully with the saltiness of the tuna, tanginess of the red onions, and enhancing the otherwise plain cannellini beans. The sauce is also far more invigorating than other mayo-based or creamy salad dressings; it’s sharp on the palate, making you salivate with each bite.
Although I will provide the complete recipe below, mum and I do make some alterations to the salad. Delia’s recipe suggests soaking the beans overnight before boiling them, but personally, we don’t see the necessity.
Serving the beans cold gives the salad a fresher feel and introduces a different texture to the mix, something soft but not overly so. It contrasts nicely with the crisp lettuce leaves, another modification we make.
While the base of the salad listed below uses rocket, the leaf can be divisive, so we substitute it to make it more agreeable for more people. Instead we use leaves of gem – Romaine – lettuce.
They serve as little hammocks for the beans and tuna to nestle in, as well as creating a cosy nest for the sauce.
This salad evokes memories of summer, with mum dusting off her well-worn cookery book every year without fail. Forget the classic tuna Nicoise or Greek salad, you’ll never find those on our table.
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 g) cannellini beans
- 2 x 200 g tins tuna fish in oil
- 1 oz (25 g) rocket, stalks removed
- 2 oz (50 g) red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- grated zest 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 rounded teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 level tablespoon Maldon sea salt
- 1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder
Method
Begin this the night before you are going to make the salad by placing the beans in a bowl and covering them with cold water to soak.
The next day, drain the beans, then put them in a large saucepan, cover with fresh water and bring them up to a simmering point. Boil for ten minutes, then cover and simmer gently for one and a quarter to one and a half hours, or until tender. Meanwhile, empty the tuna fish into a sieve fitted over a bowl and allow it to drain, reserving the oil.
Then, to make the dressing, first crush the garlic and salt using a pestle and mortar till the garlic is pulverised, then work the mustard powder into this. Now push the mixture to one side, add the peppercorns and crush these fairly coarsely.
Next add the grated lemon zest, along with the lemon juice, olive oil and three tablespoons of the reserved tuna oil (the rest of the tuna oil can be discarded).
Whisk everything together very thoroughly, then, when the beans are cooked, drain them, rinse out the saucepan and return the beans to it. Now pour the dressing over while the beans are still warm, give everything a good stir and season generously.