Vitello Tonnato
Delicious slices of veal coated in the most sublime mayonnaise made from tuna, anchovies and capers - Vitello Tonnato is one of Italy's greatest dishes. A wonder of taste and texture.
Servings: 10
Calories: 602kcal
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb veal rump or tri-tip (roasted and cooled)
For the Tonnato Sauce
- 12 anchovies (salted)
- 2 cups olive oil (if your tuna or anchovies are in olive oil, add the drained oil to the mix and make up the rest with regular olive oil).
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 lemon
- 12 oz good quality tuna (350g) canned or jarred in olive oil or water (drained).
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
- pepper
Instructions
Roasting the veal (tri-tip)
- Pre-heat oven to 420ºF/215ºCSeason the veal with salt & pepper. Sear the meat in a hot pan, on both sides for 1 minute. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes per lb.So, a 2.5lb tri-tip will take around 25-30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and remove when the internal temp is 135ºF.
Roasting the veal (rump)
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºCSeason the veal with salt & pepper. Sear the meat on all sides in a hot pan.Place the veal into a roasting tin and roast for 13-15 minutes per lb. So, a 2.5lb veal rump would take around 30-45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and remove when the internal temp is around 135ºF
- Cover the meat and let it cool completely. Wrap in foil and refrigerate until needed.
Making the tonnato sauce
- Place the egg yolks and juice of ½ lemon in a bowl. Using a balloon whisk, whisk the yolks until well combined and creamy.Drizzle around 1tbsp olive oil into the yolks and whisk well to combine. Add another tablespoon and whisk again. Repeat this process a couple more times. The mayonnaise should start to emulsify and become thick, you can now start to drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream as you whisk until you've used it all. Don't add the oil too quickly as the mayonnaise will split and become unsalvageable.
- Drain the tuna and flake into a food processor. Add the anchovies and a little black pepper.Add 2-3 tbsp of the mayonnaise and then blend until smooth.Stir the tuna mix into the remaining mayonnaise.If the sauce is too thick, dilute with a little water. You need a thick sauce, but still a little pourable.
- Take the chilled veal and using a sharp knife, slice the meat into very thin slices.
- On a serving platter, spread a thin layer of tonnato sauce. Arrange the veal in a layer over the sauce. Pour over the remaining sauce to cover most of the veal.Sprinkle generously with the capers and parsley.Serve with a few lemon wedges.
Notes
I prepare my vitello tonnato well in advance to let the flavour develop. You can make yours up to 4 days in advance and keep in the fridge. This REALLY makes a wonderful difference.
Remove about 1 hour before you want to eat to come to room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
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