Vitello Tonnato (Veal with Tuna & Anchovy Sauce)
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: January 18, 2021
Vitello Tonnato features the unlikely partnership of juicy veal with the most amazing Tuna Mayonnaise sauce. Once you discover this Italian gem, you’ll never want to eat veal any other way. Truly Italian, Truly delicious.
"Where has this been my entire life?!" I exclaimed, sitting outside the wonderful La Drogeria restaurant in the city of Bologna one balmy summer evening. My ignorance of the very spectacular Vitello Tonnato was shameful. How had I not experienced this before!? For those similarly in the dark, let me share the joy!
Vitello Tonnato is a Northern Italian dish, hailing from Piedmont. The dish traditionally uses veal, but tonnato sauce can also be paired with other meats like beef (veal is beef obviously), pork, poultry and lamb too. I would imagine it's great with fish too... And vegetables! I'll often have leftover sauce poured over hot boiled fingerling potatoes, which is an utter delight.
It's traditionally a summer dish, but in Argentina where it's hugely popular (thanks to Italian immigrants), 'Vitel tonnè' is a popular Christmas dish.
What is Vitello Tonnato?
In Italian, vitello means 'veal' and tonnato, 'tuna sauce'. Now if the thought of veal and tuna doesn't sound the most appetising, you'd be very very wrong! It is quite unlike anything you've ever tasted before and I mean in a very good way.
The tuna plays its part in creating a wonderful, umami hit in the rich, glossy mayonnaise-style sauce. Together with anchovies, it becomes a bright, glossy, salty flavour-bomb. It's the perfect match for the meaty, tender veal slices.
Why it works?
It's just so tasty! - the tonnato sauce is an complete revelation of flavour. The saltiness of the anchovies with the mild tuna flavour is just perfection over the soft poached veal. It's like nothing else and that's why I love it.
Stuff You'll Need
Vitello Tonnato is simple to make at home. You just need a few good quality ingredients to make the magic happen. Here are the key flavours.
- Veal - Traditionally prepared with veal, but many other meats can be used. If I don't have veal, pork is my next go-to. I used a small, boneless veal shoulder in this recipe.
- Poaching aromatics - To give the veal a little flavour as it poaches we add onion, celery, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, salt and fennel seeds.
- Canned/Jarred tuna - The magical sauce would not be possible without the presence of preserved tuna. Buy good quality tuna in oil or spring water for the best flavour and texture.
- Anchovies - again, good quality anchovies are essential. They bring an amazing umami burst of salty flavour to the sauce.
- Lemon - to counter all the intense saltiness, lemon adds its burst of sweet/sour citrus.
- Eggs - We use whole hard boiled eggs to help create a little structure to the tonnato sauce
- Olive Oil - I use a good quality, delicately flavoured extra-virgin olive oil. This helps emulsify the sauce and create the mayonnaise-like texture.
- Capers - For a splendid pop of tart saltiness, capers are scattered over the finished dish.
- Parsley - A light scattering of parsley finishes off the dish.
Which cut of veal should I use?
Traditionally, a round of veal (rear leg) is the most common cut to use as it's known for being lean and flavourful. You can also use veal leg (boneless) or shoulder as I have for this recipe.
Step by Step
There are many ways of preparing the veal. You can roast it or as I do in this recipe, poach with aromatics.
- Step 1 - Poach the meat. Poach the meat in enough water to cover it in a small pan with the onion, celery, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, garlic and fennel seeds. a 600g/1.3lb boneless shoulder of veal will poach for around 90 minutes in barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then wrap the meat in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (This will help you cut into very thin slices). Drain through a sieve the poaching liquid for use as a light stock/broth for another recipe.
- Step 2 - Make the Tonnato Sauce. Making the tonnato sauce is not difficult - simply blend together the hard boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies and lemon juice until smooth. I use an immersion blender, but a food processor or regular blender is fine too. Then, add the olive oil in a thin stream, blending as you go to create a creamy consistency. If it's a little thick, add a little of the cold poaching liquid to thin out.
Now it's just a case of arranging the dish. Take the meat from the fridge and slice into thin slices. Arrange in a single layer on a large platter and then generously (and I mean generously) top with the creamy Tonnato sauce. Garnish with parsley, pepper and juicy capers.
Pro Tips
- Chilling the meat - Make your life easier when cutting the cooked veal by chilling it in the fridge for 2 hours or in the freezer for 1 hour. You'll be able to get thinner slices.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
- Serve as is, or with a few slices of crusty bread and a simple green salad.
- Vitello tonnato is a dish best served later. Once you've made and arranged it on the platter, it's a wonderful idea to pop it in the fridge and wait a day or two (YES, a DAY or TWO) before eating. The flavour of the sauce noticeably improves with time. Vitello Tonnato is best served at room temperature, so whichever way you choose to eat it, make sure it has time to come to temperature first.
- It's a dish often served as part of an antipasti, to be eaten before a main course. I love to serve lots of bread with mine and a simple plate of crunchy lettuce 'cups' to pop a little sauce and meat on. Belissimo!
- Fridge - Vitello Tonnato will stay fresh in the fridge (tightly wrapped in plastic) for up to a week.
- Freezer - It's not suitable for freezing.
Ready to get cooking?
Once you taste the delights of Vitello Tonnato, I'm convinced you'll never want to eat sliced meat in any other way. A triumph of flavour and texture and a marvel of meat and fish together. It's one of my most favourite dishes in the World.
It's a wonderful dish for the masses and a great dish to serve for celebrations. And it's actually a very easy plate of food to whip up using pre sliced meats you already have. Just blend up the tonnato sauce and use it on anything and everything! Hope you enjoy the recipe.
More Delicious Italian Recipes
If you're creating an Italian spread, be sure to explore and cook some of my other delicious recipes.
- Gramigna Pasta with Sausage
- Pinsa Romana
- Supplì (Italian Rice Balls)
- Salmoriglio Sauce with Shrimp
- Panzerotti (mini calzone pizza with tuna, olives & red pepper)
- Fennel & Apple Salad
- Pallotte – Cacio e Uova (Bread & Cheese Balls)
- Foglie D’Ulivo with Pancetta & Olives
- Fennel & Orange Salad
- Salmoriglio with Shrimp
- Anchovy Sauce (An Umami Flavour Sensation)
- Beetroot Risotto with Taleggio Cheese
Any Questions? (FAQ)
Have a question about Vitello Tonnato? Ask me in the comments below.
What cut of veal to use for Vitello Tonnato?
I like to use shoulder if I can get it. They stay juicy and are great when sliced thinly. If you can't get veal, try beef, pork, lamb or even duck.
What to serve with Vitello Tonnato?
My favourite thing to serve is simply bread. There's so much going on with this dish that you don't really need to complicate the flavour with more. That said, I find that baby- gem lettuce slices are a great way to give a little crunch alongside being the perfect vehicle to hold a little meat and sauce.
What does Vitello Tonnato mean? - tunnied veal or veal in tuna sauce.
The literal translation is Veal in Tuna Sauce. It's derived from the term 'tunnied' meaning 'in tuna'.
Where is Vitello Tonnato from?
The dish was popularised in Italy, but the recipe actually derives from older French and English preparations of the 18th C.
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Ingredients
For the Veal
- 1.3 lb veal round or boneless shoulder or leg
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 1 stick celery
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
For the Tonnato Sauce
- 5 oz good quality tuna (150g) canned or jarred in olive oil or water (drained).
- 1 oz anchovies in oil (30g) small tin (add the oil to the mix for more flavour).
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 eggs hard boiled
- 1 lemon juice of
Garnishes
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the veal
- Add the veal to a medium pan and pour in enough water to completely cover it. Add the onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns and fennel seeds.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat so that it's gently nunnling. Cook, covered for 90 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely, then wrap the meat in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (This will assist in slicing it thinly).
- Strain the poaching liquid through a sieve for use as a light stock/broth in another recipe.
Making the tonnato sauce
- Add the hard-boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies (in their oil), and lemon juice to a jug or and blend using an immersion blender (or regular blender/food processor) until smooth.Gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream while blending to achieve a creamy consistency. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little of the chilled poaching liquid to thin it out.The finished sauce should be thick and creamy, like mayonnaise.
- Remove the veal from the fridge, and using a sharp knife, slice into very thin slices.
- Arrange these slices in a single layer on a large serving platter. Spread over a the tonnato sauce in the centre.Garnish generously with the capers and parsley.Serve with a few lemon wedges.
Notes
- Fridge - Vitello tonnato will remain fresh in the fridge (tightly wrapped in plastic) for up to a week.
- Freezer - It is not suitable for freezing.
- If you refrigerate the meat after it has cooled it will be much easier to cut into thin slices. Vitello Tonnato works well with finely sliced meat, so this is a great way to get that authentic appearance.
- I prepare my vitello tonnato well in advance to let the flavour develop. You can make yours up to 4 days in advance and keep in the fridge. This REALLY makes a wonderful difference. It's not essential, but try both and you'll agree I'm sure. Remove about 1 hour before you want to eat to come to room temperature. The flavour is better at room temperature!
- If there's any leftover sauce, try tossing some freshly boiled baby potatoes into the mix. They're absolutely divine!
- Make a tuna burger! This is one of the most delicious ways to use up some sauce. I seared a thick tuna or swordfish steak on the BBQ grill and popped into a burger bun with rocket and lettuce, red onion slices and a healthy dollop of Tonnato sauce. Divine!
- It's also just amazing with some French fries!
I’m so excited to serve this for Christmas this year. I’m using beef instead of veal as it’s impossible to find here in the UK. I’ve made the sauce in advance and I can testify that it’s lovely.
Thank you for the recipe.
Anna
Thank you! I’m envious of your Holiday meal! Hope everyone enjoys it.
Thanks
Lee
I have also used this sauce with smoked turkey ham or turkey breast. It is wonderful.
It’s such a versatile sauce. I love it poured over hot salad potatoes!
Thanks for the comment.
Lee
Ate this once in Bologna. You brought my memories rushing back! Delicious
I ate it in Bologna too. What a coincidence!
Thanks
In Tuscany we often make this dish with roasted pork loin instead of veal. Really good substitute.
I just ate it with pork in Siena in December! It was so lovely. The tonnato sauce was also much thicker but still utterly delicious (like everything I ever ate in Italy). I could have eaten it all day!
Thank you for sharing…
Lee
Between Center cut shank and bone in veal rib chop, which would you substitute with?
I would say veal rib chop would be the best alternative. Just cook until juicy then pour over a little sauce either when warm or at room temp, cut into chunks or thin slices the best you can.