Like summer in a bowl, no matter what time of year.

More specifically, like a summer in Italy brought to life in a bowl.

It’s like everything you ever imagined the Mediterranean diet would be.

Actually I’m now not sure about that as I think if I had to think of the quintessential Mediterranean diet dish it might be this sauce on top of a simple grilled white fish.

If you think tuna in a sauce for a fish is too much …. well, fish … you can leave the tuna out.

In fact, you can leave the tuna out anyway, to make this a vegetarian dish - and it’s still utterly gorgeous.

This sauce, with or without the tuna (ok, now I’m singing U2 ‘With or Without Tu’) is amazing with pasta of course but also delicious with crusty bread. If you have it on bread I’d suggest leaving it a few minutes before eating so the sauce has a chance to really soak in.

Here’s what you need - but the quantities are up to you and what tastes good …

Freshly squeezed lemon juice - it’s going to be more than you think. Keep tasting but at least 1 lemon if not two

Good olive oil and lots of it

Fresh sliced fennel bulb and some of the lovely leafy fronds too if you have them

Capers, drained and chopped

Pitted black olives, drained and sliced

Salt, pepper and a pinch of dried chilli flakes

Stir it all together, mix it up and then see what tastes good to you?

What does it need? Maybe a little more lemon? A few more chilli flakes?

Make it taste perfect for YOU.

Add to this mixture

1 tin of flaked tuna, preferably in oil, but do drain it first

Mix and leave for five minutes or so, so that the flavours can really meld together.

And THEN (and literally I’m practically salivating just typing this as I want to be eating it again RIGHT NOW …. scoop it onto bread or toast, stir into cooked pasta, or spoon over that previously mentioned plain grilled white fish.

This is so delicious, I can’t wait for you to make it too.