TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Vitello TonnatoVeal with Tuna Sauce
- Total
- 25 hr 42 min
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Prep 27 min
- Cook 1 hr 15 min
- Rest 24 hr
A summer antipasto from Piedmont: a whole cut of veal gently cooked the day before and finished with a cold sauce of tuna, anchovies and capers.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
100Authenticity- Whole cut of veal round800 gChoose an evenly shaped piece; bring to room temperature
- Tuna in oil180 gDrain lightly
- Anchovies4 filletsFinely chop
- Capers25 gDesalt and reserve some for garnish
- Egg yolks2 pieces
- White wine120 ml
- Celery1 stalkRoughly chop
- Carrot1 pieceRoughly chop
- Onion1 pieceHalve
- Extra virgin olive oil120 ml
- Lemon1 pieceSqueeze the juice
- Salt8 g
- Black peppera little
Method
Prepare the veal and aromatic vegetables
- 1 Bring 800 g veal round to room temperature.
- 2 Roughly chop 1 celery stalk and 1 carrot.
- 3 Halve 1 onion.
Ready when
Rub 4 g salt and black pepper into the surface of the meat; proceed when the surface no longer feels cold.
Cook the veal
- 1 Put the veal, celery, carrot, onion, 120 ml white wine and 600 ml water in a pot over low heat.
- 2 Keep the liquid gently moving. Turn off the heat when the meat is cooked to the center and the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.
Rest overnight
- 1 Cool the veal in its cooking liquid, then rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- 2 Proceed when the meat has firmed enough to slice thinly.
Make the tuna sauce
- 1 In a food processor, blend 180 g tuna, 4 chopped anchovy fillets, 20 g desalted capers, 2 egg yolks, lemon juice and 60 ml cooking liquid.
- 2 Gradually add 120 ml extra virgin olive oil to the processor; when the sauce is thick but flowing, season with 4 g salt.
Slice and finish
- 1 Thinly slice the veal across the grain.
- 2 Arrange on a plate and cover with the tuna sauce.
- 3 Scatter over the reserved capers; it is ready when the sauce has coated the meat right to the edges.
About this dish
Vitello tonnato is a cold antipasto long served on special tables in Piedmont during the hot season. The veal is cooked and rested the day before, then thinly sliced and combined with the sauce on the day, so the preparation extends beyond a single day.
The use of tuna and anchovies in inland Piedmont reflects trade with Liguria. Ingredients from mountain and sea came together in a cold dish that remained pleasant to eat in summer.
It still appears on holidays, at family gatherings and at the beginning of summer courses. Though a meat dish, it is light in character and quietly demonstrates the value of taking time.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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