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Vitello Tonnato

Serves 4 to 6 Appetizer meat, Appetizers

Vitello Tonnato

Vitello Tonnato hails from the Piedmont region of Italy, where it graces tables as a quintessential summer dish. It's a staple of Ferragosto, the mid-August holiday when Italians indulge in leisurely meals that celebrate the season's abundance. This version captures the essence of a Piedmontese family gathering, where the focus is on simplicity and quality ingredients.

The dish marries the delicate flavor of veal with a creamy, briny sauce made from tuna, anchovies, and capers. The silky mayonnaise binds these elements together, creating a luscious coating that complements the tender meat. It should taste like the sea met a lush pasture, all brightened by a hint of lemon. Serve it cold, sliced thin, allowing each bite to melt on the tongue.

Ingredients

  • 800 gveal eye of round — poached and sliced
  • 200 gcanned tuna in olive oil — drained
  • 3anchovy fillets
  • 3 tbspcapers — rinsed
  • 200 mlmayonnaise
  • 4 tbspextra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsplemon juice
  • to tastefine sea salt

Method

  1. Place the 800 g veal eye of round in a large pot and cover it with water. Add aromatic ingredients like a bay leaf, a few peppercorns, and a halved onion to infuse flavor. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat, ensuring it doesn't reach a rolling boil, which can toughen the meat. Poach the veal until it is just cooked through, which you can check by slicing into the thickest part to see if it is uniformly light pink. Remove the veal from the pot and let it cool completely on a cutting board.
  2. While the veal cools, prepare the tonnato sauce. In a blender or food processor, combine 200 g canned tuna in olive oil, 3 anchovy fillets, and 3 tbsp of capers. Add 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. The sauce should have a thick, velvety texture with no visible chunks.
  3. Transfer the blended mixture to a bowl and gently fold in 200 ml of mayonnaise, ensuring the sauce remains smooth. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice to brighten the flavors and season with fine sea salt to taste, mixing thoroughly. The sauce should be well-balanced, with a hint of saltiness from the anchovies and capers.
  4. Once the veal is completely cooled, slice it thinly across the grain, aiming for slices about 3-4 mm thick. Arrange the slices evenly on a large serving platter, slightly overlapping them for a neat presentation.
  5. Generously coat the arranged veal slices with the tonnato sauce, ensuring each piece is covered. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce evenly, allowing it to seep into the layers of veal.
  6. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to absorb into the veal, enhancing the dish's taste.
  7. Before serving, garnish the veal with additional capers and a few slices of lemon for a fresh touch. Serve the Vitello Tonnato cold, appreciating the harmonious blend of tender veal and creamy, savory sauce.
Cover of Authentic Italian Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Italian Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Italian Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Italian volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

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