📋 Tonnato Recipe - Italian Veal With Tuna Sauce

Vitello Tonnato, a traditional Italian dish, is known for its divine combination of cold tender veal slices served with a rich tuna sauce. Hailing from the mountainous region of Piedmont, this recipe has captured the hearts of many and has become a popular choice for main courses at dinner parties.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword Veal in tuna sauce, Vitel Tonne, Vitello Tonnato

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Resting time 1

Total Time 1 1 15

Servings people

Calories 347kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

For the meat

2 lb Veal or pork loin rump, eye round or topside
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery
1 bay leave
1 tablespoon salt
4 peppercorns
¼ cup white wine

For the sauce

Garnish

10 pickled gherkins
20 capers
1 bunch fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cooking the meat

Make sure the meat is well-trimmed, boneless with no fat
2 lb Veal or pork loin
Add wine, celery, onion, carrot, and bay leaf to poach the meat in a pot just large enough to fit the veal
1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 1 bay leave, 1 tablespoon salt, 4 peppercorns, ¼ cup white wine
Add enough water to cover the meat, and bring it to boil
Boil the veal for 1 hour
Let it cool down to room temperature in its cooking water

Making the tuna sauce

Combine the drained tuna, the hard-boiled egg yolks, extra-virgin olive oil, capers, anchovy fillets, lemon juice, and black pepper in a food processor or an immersion blender.
9 oz tuna canned in olive oil, drained, 4 anchovies stored in salt, 2 boiled eggs, 1 lemon juice, 4 tablespoon meat cooking water, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Blend until you achieve a smooth and creamy texture
If the sauce is too solid, you can add some of the veal stock or cooking liquid until it reaches the right consistency. It should be smooth and creamy, like a thick mayonnaise.
Once the sauce is ready, cover it and leave it to chill in the refrigerator until the meat is ready.

Assembling the plate

Thinly slice the cold, cooked veal
Arrange it on a serving platter in a single layer.
To finish the dish, evenly coat the sliced veal with your homemade creamy tuna sauce.
Keep the assembled Vitello Tonnato well-chilled in the refrigerator until just before you plan to serve it.
Garnish with additional ingredients such as pickled gherkins, lemon slices, or capers for added color and flavor profile.
10 pickled gherkins, 20 capers, 1 bunch fresh parsley
Giving the dish time to rest and chill in the fridge for a day, allows for better integration of flavors and a more enjoyable eating experience.

Video

Notes

Best to prepare a day ahead.

Giving the dish time to rest and chill in the fridge for a day, allows for better integration of flavors and a more enjoyable eating experience.

Nutrition