Vitello Tonnato

Vitello Tonnato

Cold poached veal draped in a creamy sauce of tuna, anchovy, capers and egg yolk — the classic Piedmontese summer antipasto.

Prep

30 min

Cook

90 min

Total

120 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) eye of round veal roast, tied into a neat cylinder if possible
• •1 whole (1 medium) yellow onion, halved, skin on
• •1 whole (1 medium) carrot, roughly chopped
• •1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
• •2 whole bay leaves
• •5 g (1 tsp) black peppercorns
• •15 g (1 Tbsp) fine sea salt, plus more for the poaching water
• •200 ml (¾ cup) dry white wine
• •160 g (5½ oz) tuna in olive oil, Italian tonno sott'olio, well drained
• •3 fillets oil-packed anchovies, drained
• •20 g (2 Tbsp) capers in brine, drained, plus extra for garnish
• •2 whole (2 large) egg yolks, pasteurized if serving vulnerable guests
• •15 ml (1 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, good quality, plus more for the meat
• •60 ml (¼ cup) reserved poaching broth (cooled), as needed for thinning
• •5 g (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
• •salt and white pepper, to taste
• •1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the veal under cold water and tie it snugly with kitchen twine so it holds a compact shape. Pat dry.
2. 2 Place the veal in a heavy pot just large enough to hold it. Add the onion (cut side down), carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, 15 g salt and the white wine. Add cold water to cover by about 2 cm (¾ inch).
3. 3 Bring slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat — never a rolling boil, which toughens the meat — and skim any foam that rises. Once simmering, partially cover and cook gently for 60–80 minutes, turning the roast halfway through.
4. 4 Doneness cue: the veal is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre reads 70–72 °C (158–160 °F) and the meat feels just yielding when pressed. A small skewer inserted into the thickest part should release clear juices with no pink.
5. 5 Transfer the veal to a shallow dish, season lightly with salt and a thread of olive oil, and let it cool in a little of its broth. Once cool, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Strain and reserve 250 ml (1 cup) of the broth.
6. 6 For the tonnata sauce, bring a small pan of water to a simmer. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and Dijon until smooth.
7. 7 Set the bowl over (not in) the simmering water — the base must not touch the water — and slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly, as for a hollandaise, until you have a thick, pale mayonnaise. If the yolks scramble, start over; the bowl must stay warm, not hot.
8. 8 In a food processor or by hand with a wooden spoon, flake the drained tuna, anchovies and capers. Pulse to a rough paste, then fold this into the mayonnaise.
9. 9 Loosen the sauce with the cooled reserved broth, a spoonful at a time, until it is silky and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 60–90 ml (¼–⅓ cup). Season with salt and a few grinds of white pepper, then chill for at least 1 hour.
10. 10 Just before serving, taste the sauce and adjust salt, lemon and broth — it should be creamy, savoury and slightly piquant, not fishy.
11. 11 Pat the chilled veal dry and slice it across the grain as thinly as you can manage, almost transparent. Arrange the slices on a chilled platter, slightly overlapping.
12. 12 Spoon a generous layer of tonnata sauce over the veal, spreading it nearly to the edges. Garnish with a few whole capers, a scatter of parsley and a thin drizzle of olive oil.
13. 13 Serve very cold, traditionally as an antipasto, with any remaining sauce in a small bowl alongside for extra spoonfuls. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and consume within 2 days.