Vitello tonnato, the Piedmontese veal in tuna sauce
Piedmontese vitello tonnato: thin slices of poached, chilled veal coated in a tuna sauce made with tuna, anchovies, capers and egg yolks. A summer classic to serve cold.
Are you looking for the real Piedmontese vitello tonnato, the one with the old-style tuna sauce rather than the quick mayonnaise version?
Then this is the recipe for you. I’ll walk you through this classic cold summer dish step by step: paper-thin slices of poached, chilled veal coated in a thick, savory tuna sauce of tuna, anchovies, capers and hard-boiled egg yolks. It is an elegant starter that pleases everyone, and it is at its best after a few hours of rest in the fridge.
The beauty of this dish is that it works entirely ahead of time, and it has at least three real advantages: you make it when you have time and serve it cold at the last moment, it needs no oven and no long stretch at the stove, and it is naturally gluten free. The secret lies in the cooking of the meat: keep it at a gentle simmer and let it cool in its own stock, so it stays tender and slices without crumbling.
One trick that makes the difference: chill the veal in the fridge, even overnight, before cutting it. Cold, it slices much thinner, with a sharp knife or a meat slicer. If the sauce turns out too thick, loosen it with a tablespoon of the strained cooking stock.
Keep it covered in the fridge for up to two days: the flavors come together and the sauce turns even creamier. Bring it to the table straight from the fridge, with a few capers scattered on top.
Ready? Let’s make the vitello tonnato.
To make this recipe
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Kitchen blender
Ideal for making smooth pestos and sauces. Choose a stable, powerful model for best results.
Steps
- Poach the veal: lower it into water with the carrot, celery, onion, bay leaf and salt, bring to a gentle simmer and cook over low heat for about one hour and a quarter. Let the meat cool in its stock, so it stays tender.
- Make the tuna sauce: blend the drained tuna, the anchovies, half the capers, the hard-boiled egg yolks and the lemon juice until you have a smooth, lump-free cream.
- With the blender running, pour in the oil in a thin stream, until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If needed, loosen it with a tablespoon of the strained cooking stock.
- Slice the cold veal as thinly as possible, using a well-sharpened knife or a meat slicer.
- Arrange the slices on a plate, cover them with the tuna sauce and finish with the remaining capers. Keep in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
Helpful tips
Cool the meat in its stock: it is the secret to tender slices that are never dry.
For very thin slices, chill the veal well in the fridge, even overnight, before slicing it.
The traditional Piedmontese version uses hard-boiled egg yolks; the quick version swaps them for ready-made mayonnaise.
It is made ahead and improves in the fridge: a great cold summer dish, kept covered for up to 2 days.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 2.0 g
- Sugars
- 1.0 g
- Protein
- 28.0 g
- Fat
- 18.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.5 g
- Fiber
- 0.0 g
- Sodium
- 520 mg
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