In Italy we make veal in tuna sauce, we call it vitello tonnato, to prepare a great starter or a delicious main course. It's a very traditional dish born in Piemonte we love to eat in every seasons. It's a very traditional appetizer during winter holidays, but you'll find it even on summer menu as a warm main course. In our opinion, definitely the best way to eat roasted meat when it's hot!
How to Make Veal in Tuna Sauce
8 servings veal in tuna sauce ingredients
Time: 1 h 30 minutes + Rest and marinating
2 lb round of veal
11 oz canned tuna (in oil)
6 canned anchovies (in oil)
3 hard boiled eggs – 1 celery stalk white wine vinegar
dry white wine – bay leaves
sage – cloves
capers in vinegar
gherkins in vinegar – lemon extra-virgin olive oil – salt
Veal in Tuna Sauce Method
Place the veal in a bowl, cover with the wine, season with chopped celery, 2 bay leaves, 3 cloves and 6 sage leaves. Cover the bowl with plastic film and let marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Move the veal into a casserole, pour in the filtered marinade and add water to completely cover it.
Salt it, bring to a boil and cook for an hour. Keep 2 ladles of the cooking water in a separate bowl, drain the meat and let cool for a few hours. Then put it in the fridge for an hour to become more compact.
Blend the drained tuna with the yolks of the boiled eggs, a full tablespoon of capers, the juice of one lemon, the anchovies, half a glass of olive oil and a tablespoon of vinegar.
Add the two ladles of cooking water to the tuna sauce to make it smooth and velvety.
Slice the meat into thin slices (with a slicing machine if possible) and lay them on the plates. Smother them with the sauce and then garnish with a few capers, adding gherkins to taste.