Vitello tonnato

Vitello tonnato

A classic Italian starter recipe made with veal and served chilled with a creamy tuna mayonnaise-style sauce.

Vitello tonnato

  • Serves icon Serves 6 as a starter
  • Time icon Hands-on time 35 min, plus 2 hours chilling

A classic Italian starter recipe made with veal and served chilled with a creamy tuna mayonnaise-style sauce.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
385kcals
Fat
33g (5.1g saturated)
Protein
21.6g
Carbohydrates
0.2g (0.1g sugars)
Fibre
0.1g
Salt
0.5g

Ingredients

For the veal

  • Olive oil for frying and drizzling
  • 400g rose veal topside or rump, trimmed to about 5cm x 15cm, at room temperature
  • Sea salt flakes
  • 50g wild rocket, 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tsp balsamic vinegar to serve

For the tuna mayonnaise

  • 2 medium free-range egg yolks
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 15g anchovy fillets in oil (drained weight)
  • 1 tbsp capers in brine, rinsed
  • 200g tinned tuna in olive oil, drained (use the best quality you can find)
  • 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 100ml light olive oil (or equal mix of vegetable oil and olive oil)

You’ll also need

  • Digital probe thermometer
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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the veal and brown all over (about 2 minutes on each side). Remove to a lipped baking sheet and season well. Put in the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 52°C on a digital probe thermometer (about 10 minutes), then leave to rest on a rack or board to cool. When cooled, roll the veal tightly in cling film and twist the edges to seal – the aim is to get it into a neat shape for slicing.
  2. Chill the veal for about 2 hours to firm up. When firm, remove the cling film and cut into 0.5cm thick slices. Use a very sharp knife and cut the meat across the grain (it will make the pieces of meat more tender).
  3. For the mayo, put the egg yolks, vinegar, anchovies, capers and tuna in a food processor on a low speed, then blend until smooth. Slowly pour the oils into the tuna mix until it forms a thick mayonnaise. If it’s too thick, mix in a small amount of warm water. Taste and season if required (the anchovies and capers will be quite salty). Keep chilled in an airtight container.
  4. Put a generous amount of the tuna mayo on a serving platter, then top with the veal slices. Drizzle over a little olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Lightly dress the rocket with the extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then scatter over. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Sam Willis at Café Murano in Covent Garden

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
385kcals
Fat
33g (5.1g saturated)
Protein
21.6g
Carbohydrates
0.2g (0.1g sugars)
Fibre
0.1g
Salt
0.5g

delicious. tips

  1. Make the tuna mayo up to 2 days ahead, cover and chill. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
    NB Contains raw egg

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