Vitello tonnato, a classic Italian dish, is a delightful combination of tender veal, creamy tuna sauce, and a vibrant garnish. This dish is often served as an appetizer or main course and is known for its elegant presentation and burst of flavors. The veal is poached until tender and then chilled, creating a succulent and flavorful base for the dish. The tuna sauce is made with mayonnaise, tuna, capers, and anchovies, resulting in a rich and creamy texture with a hint of tanginess. The dish is typically garnished with hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, and capers, adding visual appeal and extra layers of flavor. In this article, we present three variations of vitello tonnato, each with its own unique twist. From a classic recipe to a modern interpretation using smoked salmon, these recipes offer a range of options to suit different tastes and preferences.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
TURKEY TONNATO
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 1h5m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
- Season the turkey with salt, pepper and herbs. Coat with olive oil, place in a baking pan and pour the chicken broth around the turkey. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch slices, on an angle. Allow to sit in baking pan with juices as you make sauce.
- In the bowl of a food processor add the tuna, anchovy, lemon juice and capers. Puree until creamy, about 1 minute. Pour the tuna mixture into a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.
- Place the slices of turkey on a platter and pour the tuna sauce on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.
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.
MOIRA HODGSON'S VITELLO TONNATO
Provided by Moira Hodgson
Categories dinner, main course
Time 2h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make tiny incisions in the side of the veal and insert cloves of garlic inside. Season the veal with salt and pepper.
- Place the veal in a casserole with the carrots, onion, white wine, thyme and oregano. Cover and cook for two hours, turning frequently. Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes, turning from time to time so that the outside browns slightly. Test to make sure that the veal is cooked. Allow it to cool in its juices.
- Place the tuna and the anchovies in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Gradually add the olive oil with the motor on until you have a thick sauce. Add the juice of two lemons to thin it out and process until smooth. (If it is too thin, you can add more oil.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce should have the consistency of a thin mayonnaise.
- Cut the veal in thin slices. Arrange them in one layer (or slightly overlapping) on a large serving platter and pour the sauce over. (You will probably need two dishes.) Cover with clear plastic wrap and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- If using salt capers, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes, and rinse them very well until you have removed as much of the salt as possible. If using capers packed in vinegar, drain and rinse them. Sprinkle the capers over the veal. Slice the remaining lemon and cut the slices in half. Arrange them attractively around the edges of the serving dish. Sprinkle the dish with tarragon leaves and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 526, UnsaturatedFat 34 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 44 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 631 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams
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
Tips:
- For the best results, use high-quality ingredients. Fresh tuna, tender veal, and a flavorful tuna sauce are essential.
- To ensure the veal is cooked evenly, use a meat thermometer to check that it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
- If you don't have time to make the tuna sauce from scratch, you can use a store-bought mayonnaise-based tuna salad. Just be sure to add some capers and chopped parsley for extra flavor.
- Serve the vitello tonnato with a side of roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, or a simple green salad.
Conclusion:
Vitello tonnato is a classic Italian dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make, delicious, and sure to impress your guests. So next time you are looking for a new recipe to try, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.
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