Vitello tonnato is an Italian dish made from thinly sliced veal covered in a creamy tuna sauce. It is typically served cold as an antipasto or main course. The origins of vitello tonnato are unclear, but it is thought to have originated in Piedmont, a region in northwestern Italy. The dish is popular throughout Italy and is also enjoyed in other parts of Europe, such as France and Spain.
The veal used in vitello tonnato is typically cooked by poaching or boiling. Once the veal is cooked, it is chilled and then thinly sliced. The tuna sauce is made with canned tuna, mayonnaise, capers, and anchovies. The sauce is typically seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
In addition to the classic vitello tonnato recipe, there are also a number of variations on this dish. Some recipes call for using different types of meat, such as chicken or fish. Others use different types of sauce, such as a pesto or tomato sauce.
Vitello tonnato also known as vitello ai tonno, is a healthy food as it contains low cholesterol (101 mg per serving) and a good amount of vitamin B12 (0.76 mcg per serving). It also provides smaller amounts of niacin, riboflavin, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin A, potassium, and magnesium. Vitello tonnato is a flavorful and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Whether you are serving it as an appetizer or a main course, vitello tonnato is sure to impress your guests.
VITELLO TONNATO
Provided by Amanda Hesser
Categories dinner, project, main course
Time 45m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- In a pot just large enough to fit veal, put wine, celery, onion, carrot, leek, marjoram, thyme and garlic. Add 3 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Add veal, and bring back to a boil. Immediately turn off heat, cover pot and let veal cool in its liquid 2 to 3 hours. When completely cool, thinly slice veal. Slices should be about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick.
- While veal cools, make sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 teaspoon salt until pale yellow and the consistency of cream. Beginning a drop at a time, add 1 1/4 cups oil, whisking continually. As mixture thickens, you can add oil more quickly. When it gets quite thick, whisk in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Continue adding oil until all of it has been absorbed and mayonnaise is quite thick and shiny. Whisk in another tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Drain tuna, and put it in a food processor with anchovies, remaining cup olive oil, remaining lemon juice and capers. Process until you get a creamy, uniformly blended sauce. Scrape sauce into bowl with mayonnaise and fold to combine. Taste. It should be quite tangy and highly seasoned. Refrigerate until needed.
- To assemble dish: remove 3/4 cup sauce, and reserve to serve alongside veal. Smear bottom of a large serving platter with some of the remaining tuna sauce. Place a layer of veal slices on top, meeting edge to edge without overlapping. Cover with sauce, then make another layer of meat and sauce. Repeat until all the meat is used. Leave yourself enough sauce to blanket top layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving. Garnish with some or all suggested ingredients. Serve with reserved sauce on the side.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 875, UnsaturatedFat 58 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 75 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 37 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 732 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams
VITELLO TONNATO
Provided by Food Network
Time 2h24m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Place the veal in a casserole large enough to accommodate it. Add the wine and enough water to cover the veal by 1/2 an inch. Remove veal and set aside. Add vegetables and bouquet garni to the water and bring the liquid to a boil. Return the meat to the simmering water, cover and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours or until the veal is cooked through.
- Remove the veal from the heat and let it cool in its own liquid, remove it from the liquid and the veal is ready. (Boil the remaining liquid down by half and use as you would broth.) Remove strings and thinly slice.
- In a food processor puree until creamy the tuna fish, anchovies, capers, vegetable and olive oils. Add lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice (add more if you wish). Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and fold in the mayonnaise and season very well with salt and pepper.
- Spread bottom of a shallow nonmetal dish with a layer of tuna sauce. Arrange some veal slices, in a single layer, end to end, over the tuna sauce. Cover first layer of veal again with tuna sauce. Build up a second layer of veal and cover with sauce again. End with a generous layer of sauce, (making sure veal is entirely covered so that it does not dry out). Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Serve chilled with steamed haricot verts (French green beans) or asparagus along with wedges of ripe tomato, halved pitted black olives, snipped chives and chopped parsley.
INSTANT POT® VITELLO TONNATO (POACHED VEAL WITH TONNATO SAUCE)
This summery dish hails from the Piedmont region of Italy. It's perfect for a light summer meal or as an appetizer. This is the original version using hard-boiled eggs. Some recipes call for mayonnaise, but trust me, this version is the authentic. Serve with a crisp, dry white wine.
Provided by Buckwheat Queen
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Beef Veal
Time 3h15m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Combine water, vegetable broth, wine, garlic, peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and bay leaves in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Add a steamer basket. It's okay if the liquid is higher than the bottom of the basket.
- Leave veal whole, but trim off any excess fat or skin. Place it into the basket. Add onion and place potatoes on top. Make sure the potatoes aren't touching the liquid.
- Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 12 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine eggs, drained tuna, anchovies, 3 teaspoons capers, and olive oil in a bowl. Mash into a coarse paste with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Release any remaining pressure carefully using the quick-release method, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Carefully remove the potatoes and onion; set aside.
- Remove the veal and allow to cool. Wrap the veal in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Strain and reserve the broth. Add some of the cooled broth to the sauce. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth and creamy, adding broth little by little as needed. Refrigerate, reserving the broth in case you need it to thin the sauce before serving.
- Slice the veal as thinly as possible with a carving knife. Arrange the slices on a plate. Slice the potatoes and onions and arrange them on the plate. Top with tonnato sauce and garnish with remaining capers. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 406 calories, Carbohydrate 38.5 g, Cholesterol 191.5 mg, Fat 12.1 g, Fiber 5.7 g, Protein 29.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.3 g, Sodium 399.1 mg, Sugar 3.6 g
VITELLO TONNATO (COLD VEAL WITH TUNA SAUCE)
There are many versions of this classic Italian dish; it has been served to me in all the regions of Italy, but I think it originated in Lombardy. It is not hard to make, and it is really refreshing on a hot summer day. It looks beautiful on a buffet table. It can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for several days. Originally from Gourmet with two decades of revisions. Cooking time includes refrigerator time.
Provided by MariaLuisa
Categories Tuna
Time P1DT1h
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- For the veal place the meat, carrots, onions, celery, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns in a fairly snug pot and add water to cover.
- Cover and simmer for one hour. Check from time to time to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom.
- Let cool in the cooking liquid for one hour.
- Cover the veal with a plate and 2 lb weight and cool completely in the cooking liquid. (The purpose of weighing down the meat is to insure compact slices when cut. I usually omit this step because I don't have a kitchen weight.).
- Store in refrigerator until assembly. If you feel creative, you could make something good with the broth; otherwise, it is discarded.
- For the tuna sauce whip the mayonnaise, tuna, anchovy fillets, onion, and lemon juice at high speed in the processor fitted with a steel blade.
- With the motor running add the milk in a thin stream until the desired consistency is reached. It should be thick but pourable.
- For the assembly remove and discard any remaining bits of rubbery membrane on the veal and slice it thinly, no more than 1/4 inch thick. If some of the slices crumble, don't despair. It will still be good.
- Smear 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a rimmed platter (I prefer glass).
- Place the veal slices in slightly overlapping circles in the platter, and cover generously and completely with the sauce.
- If you have more veal you can add another layer; just be sure that all is covered by the sauce.
- (If you have more sauce than you need (it is tasty), you can combine it with cubed cooked cold chicken, turkey, or fish, or pour it over cold hard-boiled eggs.).
- The dish should cool in the refrigerator for several hours or up to 2-3 days, covered with plastic wrap.
- Before serving sprinkle on the capers, optional parsley, and garnish with the lemon slices, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 528.7, Fat 32, SaturatedFat 7.8, Cholesterol 153.6, Sodium 713.5, Carbohydrate 21.2, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 6.7, Protein 38.4
SAM SIFTON'S VITELLO TONNATO
This unlikely pairing of veal and tuna is shockingly irresistible, as Sam Sifton discovered in bringing the recipe to The Times in 2011. As with all simple cooking, ingredients are key here. Don't skimp on the veal, or the tuna, or the mayonnaise. They all mingle together to create something better than the sum of their parts.
Provided by Sam Sifton
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h15m
Yield Serves 4 to 6
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- If necessary, tie the veal with cotton string, so that it resembles a salami. Place the meat in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and cover with tuna, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, parsley, wine, broth, salt and pepper, then heat over a high flame until it comes to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the veal reaches 130 degrees.
- Remove meat to a large, nonreactive bowl, strain the broth over it, cover and allow the meat to cool in the refrigerator. (Discard solids.)
- Meanwhile, put yolks in a medium bowl. Beat together with a wire whisk. Begin to add oil as you beat, a very little at a time, adding more as each bit is incorporated. When a thick emulsion forms, then you can add oil a little faster, but not much faster. The entire process should take roughly 5 to 7 minutes. (You may not need all the oil.)
- Add tuna, anchovies and caper brine to the mixture, then beat to incorporate. Add a few tablespoons of the veal broth to thin the sauce slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding lemon juice or more broth to taste. The sauce should not taste overly mayonnaisey but should lurk in the neighborhood.
- Remove the cooled veal from its broth, untie and cut across the grain into very thin slices. Arrange these neatly on a platter with the edges of the slices overlapping, and spoon the tuna sauce over the top. Cover and return to refrigerator overnight or until ready to use. Garnish with capers or fried capers, lemon, hard-cooked egg wedges or sprigs of parsley. Serve with copious amounts of bread and a green salad, lightly dressed.
Tips:
- When choosing veal for this dish, look for a cut that is tender and has a fine grain. The best cuts for vitello tonnato are the topside, eye of round, or tenderloin.
- To ensure that the veal is cooked evenly, pound it to an even thickness before cooking. This will also help to tenderize the meat.
- If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use a rolling pin to pound the veal.
- When searing the veal, be sure to use a hot pan and sear the meat for only a few minutes per side. This will help to keep the veal juicy and tender.
- Once the veal is cooked, let it cool completely before slicing it. This will help to prevent the meat from falling apart.
- For the tuna sauce, use high-quality tuna packed in olive oil. This will give the sauce a rich and flavorful taste.
- Be sure to season the tuna sauce to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You can also add other herbs and spices, such as dill, parsley, or capers, to taste.
- Serve the vitello tonnato chilled, garnished with capers and parsley.
Conclusion:
Vitello tonnato is a classic Italian dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With its tender veal, flavorful tuna sauce, and elegant presentation, vitello tonnato is sure to impress your guests.
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