Vitello tonnato

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 ½ kg roast veal, boned, tightly tied, lean
• 3 anchovy fillets, cut into pieces of about 2 cm
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 liter chicken broth, fresh or from instant cubes
• ½ liter white wine, dry
• ½ liter of water
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 stalk(s) celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 10 peppercorns
• 0.2 liters of olive oil
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 small can of tuna
• 4 anchovy fillets, drained, briefly rinsed and cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 0.06 liters of cream
• ⅛ liter veal broth, cooled and strained
• 2 tbsp capers, washed and drained
• Salt and pepper, white, freshly ground
• 2 tbsp parsley, flat, freshly chopped
• 2 lemon(s), thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp capers
• 12 olives, black, pitted, preferably Italian or Greek

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours 40 minutes

Score the roast with a small, sharp knife. Press a 1-inch piece of anchovy and a piece of garlic into each cut. Blanch the veal roast in a large pot by covering it with hot water and boiling it over high heat for 1 minute. Drain the water. Place the veal in a heavy pot or skillet just large enough to hold comfortably. Add chicken stock, wine, water, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, parsley, and peppercorns. If the liquid doesn’t quite cover the meat, add more stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the veal, uncovered, for about 1 3/4 hours, or until the veal is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove the pot from the heat and let the veal cool in the liquid. Skim off about 1/2 cup of the stock, pour it through a fine sieve, and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the tuna sauce. If using an electric mixer, simply place the olive oil, egg yolks, tuna, 4 anchovy fillets, and lemon juice into the blender and blend on high speed for no more than 10 seconds, or until the mixture is pureed. Then, in a small mixing bowl, gradually combine with the cream. Gradually add the cooled, strained veal stock until the sauce takes on the consistency of cream. Stir in the capers (roughly chopped). Taste and season the sauce. If not using a cooking appliance, break up the tuna and anchovies with a knife; then, using the back of a wooden spoon, strain them through a fine sieve into a small bowl. In another small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a whisk for 1-2 minutes. Combine the fish puree and lemon juice with the egg yolk, then add the oil a teaspoon at a time, whisking continuously. After 1/4 cup of oil has been used, the sauce should be very thick and smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously. Then add the cream and enough cooled stock to make the sauce the consistency of cream. Stir in the capers and season to taste. When the meat has cooled, transfer the roast to a carving board. Trim all fat and gristle from the veal and cut into thin, even slices. Brush the bottom of a large serving dish or baking pan with a thin layer of tuna sauce and arrange the meat slices in the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and smooth it with a spatula to coat each slice. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the vitello tonnato for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably overnight, or longer if possible. About 1 hour before serving, remove the meat from the refrigerator to allow it to return to room temperature. Arrange the slices as carefully as possible in a circle on a large serving platter, slightly overlapping. Spoon the sauce over the slices. Sprinkle the veal and sauce with the chopped parsley and garnish the platter with lemon slices, capers, and black olives. Other garnish suggestions include leek rings, tomato slices, or hard-boiled, quartered, or sliced ​​eggs. Tip: Strain the remaining broth and freeze it in smaller portions for use in soups and sauces.