Name: Ellie Shulman Bartolozzi
Class Year: 1975
Country of Residence: Italy
Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory?
This speciality from the region of Piemonte (in northwest Italy) is traditionally served cold or at room temperature as a starter. However, it makes a great main course in the warmer months, served with a side of string beans in a vinaigrette sauce. Every cook has his or her recipe and swears it is authentic! Variations include boiled rather than oven-cooked meat, or using homemade mayonnaise instead of olive oil. The bottom line: it’s a classic regional dish that has spread in popularity and is appreciated by everyone!
Vitello Tonnato
Serves 6. Takes approx. 1hr (preparation and cooking)
Ingredients:
800g. Veal (a lean hind cut suitable for roasting, such as Girello/Noce/Magatello/Rotondino)
100g. Butter
30g. Olive oil
½ Onion, chopped
½ Carrot, chopped
1 Celery stalk, chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
1 ladle of broth
SAUCE:
100g. Tuna in olive oil
4 Anchovy filets
1 Lemon, squeezed
3 tsp. Capers
approx. 150ml. Olive oil
Instructions:
Melt the oil and butter in a pan, then sauté the onion, carrot, celery till onions turn soft and translucent, but not brown. Add veal and brown the meat over high heat, sealing in the juices. Transfer to a Pyrex, add the sprig of rosemary and a ladle of broth and cover with aluminum foil. Place in preheated oven at 150C. for 20 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, check that veal setting is on ‘medium-rare’ so that center of veal will be pinkish. When completely cooled, slice very thinly (a cold-cut slicer would come in handy!) and arrange on two platters.
To prepare the sauce: purée the tuna, anchovies, lemon juice and capers in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add olive oil a little at a time until a consistency similar to mayonnaise is reached. Adjust to taste. Cover the veal slices with sauce and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. Garnish with capers before serving. This dish can be kept up to three days in fridge—but do not freeze.
Buon appetito!
Source:
Many years ago the owner of a very famous restaurant in the Langhe kindly gave my mother his grandma’s recipe, which is still the recipe used today by the restaurant chef—his brother!