Vitello tonnato sounds like something that should not exist. Cold veal. Tuna sauce. These are not things you would put together on instinct. And yet it is one of the oldest and most trusted combinations in the Italian table, the kind of dish that makes you stop and reconsider what you thought you knew about matching proteins.
The veal is poached very gently. Not boiled. The internal temperature should never exceed 65 C (149 F) during cooking, which keeps it tender and just-pink in the center. After poaching, it needs to cool completely before slicing, which means this dish is better made the day before you want to eat it.
The tonnato sauce is made with the cooking broth, tuna, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs. It should be smooth, pale, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste it before it goes on the plate: it should be briny and round, not fishy or sharp.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Trim the veal of any cartilage and surface fat. Cut the vegetables (carrot, celery, onion) into rough chunks.
Place the veal in a large pot. Add the vegetables, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, white wine, and enough water to cover by about 1 in. Add salt and the olive oil.
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, skimming the foam as it rises. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 40-45 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 145-149 F. Do not let it boil hard.
Remove the veal and let it cool to room temperature in the broth. Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Strain and reserve 2/3 cup of the cooking broth.
Hard-boil the eggs: place in cold water, bring to a boil, cook 9 minutes from the boil, then cool in cold water and peel. Quarter them.
Combine the egg quarters, drained tuna, anchovies, capers, and reserved broth in a tall container. Blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. The sauce should be pale and thick enough to coat a spoon. If it is too thick, add a little more broth. Taste and adjust salt.
Remove the veal from the refrigerator. Slice very thinly ( 1/8 in) across the grain using a sharp carving knife.
Arrange veal slices in overlapping layers on a serving platter. Pour the tonnato sauce over the top, spreading to cover completely. Garnish with caper berries.
Serve cold or at cool room temperature. This dish improves overnight: the sauce soaks gently into the veal.
You made Vitello Tonnato. Time to eat.
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The blender is the sauce. Under-blend and it is grainy and separates on the plate. Blend until it is completely smooth, about 90 seconds with an immersion blender or 30 seconds in a countertop blender. The reserved broth is the key to the right consistency: the eggs and tuna alone make it too thick.
Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.
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