Vitello Tonnato

Vitello Tonnato is a traditional Italian dish consisting of cold, sliced veal and a creamy tuna flavored sauce. The dish is served chilled  and is a perfect summer dish. The dish can be served as a main course, it's a perfect dish if you're serving a lot of people and the dish will work perfectly as a part of a buffet as well. The dish is preferably made well ahead of serving as it is supposed to be served chilled.

Ingredients;

Veal;

1 1/2 cup white wine
2 lb veal roast
1 sprig rosemary
 3 bay leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 cup water
1 yellow onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
Salad
capers
olive oil
salt/pepper
lemon

Tuna-sauce;

2 cans white meat tuna in olive oil

2 boiled egg yolks

1/2 cup olive oil

10 capers

4 pieces italian anchovy

salt/pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

veal broth 

Start the night before you are making the veal by putting the roast in the white wine in a casserole with the bay leaves, bruised rosemary sprig, peppers and a smashed garlic clove. Leave in the refrigerator over night. 

Next morning you add the water and chopped vegetables to the brine, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour or until the thermometer registers a temperature of 145 to 150F. This will take up to 2 hours if you double the size of the roast. 

Remove from heat and let the roast cool in the brine. When the veal is cool remove from brine, wrap tightly and refrigerate. Reduce brine until almost nothing, you can use that to add flavor to the tuna sauce or whip in some cold butter and serve as a sauce on the side. 

To make the tuna sauce blend the tuna, egg yolks, olive oil, capers, anchovy, salt/pepper and lemon juice in a food processor or blender ( I of course use my Vitamix blender!!) to a very smooth texture. If needed add some of the veal broth or water. If needed add more salt/pepper. 

Cut the chilled veal roast in thin slices, arrange on a platter with salad, capers, lemon and the tuna sauce. 

 

Let the fun begin!