VITELLO TONNATO

RARE GRILLED VEAL WITH A CAPER AND PARSLEY DRESSING & CRISP FRIED ANCHOVIES  

Vitello Tonnato is a classic North Italian dish made with thinly sliced veal served with a tuna and caper sauce. It might sound like an odd combination but it’s one of my favourite things ever and it’s unbelievably delicious.

It’s traditionally served both during the summer months and at Christmas time

SERVES 4 -6  PREP TIME 30 MINS  

INGREDIENTS  

600g Veal topside or backstrap  

Salt  

Pepper 

30 leaves of flat leaf parsley 

1 tablespoon of rinsed capers  

2 Tablespoons of caper berries  

120g good quality tinned tuna -sustainably sourced  

1 lemon juiced  

70 ml of extra virgin olive oil  

6 anchovy fillets  

2 tablespoons of corn flour  

Crusty bread to serve  

METHOD  

Get your butcher to trim the piece of veal

Pre heat a griddle pan or frying pan.  Rub the meat with a little olive oil.  Season the meat with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.   

Grill the veal on a medium high heat for 4 minutes on each side allowing the meat to caramelise and turn golden.  Cook the meat for 10 -12 minutes turning regularly.   

Remove the meat from the grill and allow to rest.  You want the meat to be rare in the middle.  Then chill in the fridge until cold. 

Meanwhile make the sauce. 

Drain the oil from the canned tuna and place the tuna in a blender with the rinsed capers and the lemon juice.  Pulse the blender until you have a pale thick paste.  Add the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt ground pepper and pulse again until you have a thick dressing the consistency of yoghurt.   

Pick the parsley and roughly chop.  Cut the caper berries in half  

Drain 6 anchovies and pat dry with paper towel.  Add the anchovy fillets to the corn flour so they are coated in a fine dusting.   

In a small frying pan heat some olive oil for 1 minute until hot and then fry the anchovy fillets until golden brown and crispy on both sides.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.   

When the grilled veal is cold thinly slice and arrange on individual plates or a platter  

Spoon over the sauce so that there is some on each slice.  Don’t flood the plate with the sauce.    

Scatter over some chopped parsley and the halved caper berries.  Break the crisp anchovies into pieces and garnish the platter 

There will be a fantastic combination of Hot, sweet salt and sour flavours.  The meat will be quite sweet but with a peppery hot crust.  The dressing will be salty and sour as will the crisp anchovies and the capers.   

This is a fantastic dish that can be made in advance and is easy to assemble for a picnic.   

Serve with lots of fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce.