Vitello Tonnato — The Dish Where Veal Meets Tuna (and It Works)

Tie the veal with butcher's string at 3 cm intervals to form an even cylinder. This keeps the shape uniform for even cooking and clean slices.

In a pot wide enough to hold the veal, combine 2 L of cold water with the white wine, carrot (halved), celery, onion (halved), bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Lower the veal into the simmering liquid — it should be just covered; top up with water if needed. Reduce to a very gentle simmer (surface barely moving, around 85°C).

Poach for 60–80 minutes until a probe thermometer reads 63–65°C (145–150°F) at the thickest point. Do not go higher — the centre should remain faintly pink.

Remove the pot from heat. Let the veal cool completely in the poaching liquid — at least 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight still submerged and tightly covered. Do not lift the meat out to cool uncovered; exposure to air dries and oxidises the surface.

Hard-boil 3 eggs (10 minutes from boiling water), cool under cold water, peel, and separate the yolks. Discard or reserve the whites.

In a food processor or blender, combine the drained tuna, anchovy fillets, 25 g of the capers, and the 3 hard-boiled egg yolks. Blitz to a rough paste.

With the motor running on its lowest speed, drizzle in the olive oil very slowly — over about 60 seconds total. The mixture will emulsify into a thick, velvety sauce. Add the lemon juice and blitz briefly. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. If the sauce is too thick to pour, loosen with 1–2 tbsp of the cooled poaching broth.

Lift the veal from the broth, pat dry, and remove the string. With a very sharp knife, slice as thin as possible — 2–3 mm. Fan the slices in a single slightly overlapping layer across a large serving plate.

Spoon the tonnato sauce generously over the veal, covering it completely. Scatter the remaining capers and a few parsley leaves over the top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature — never warm.