Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish usually prepared over the festive period -- cold sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavoured with tuna and capers. The dish has been featured in the a la carte menu of Osteria – a restaurant serving the best recipes of the Mediterranean tradition.

Chef Omar Ugoletti

Ingredients:

• 600g of veal “Top Round”
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 celery stick
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 cloves
• 6g black peppercorns
• 2g of bay leaves
• 500ml white wine
• 1.5 litre water
• Salt to taste

Tuna sauce:

• 300g tuna in oil, drained
• 20g capers
• 30g anchovies
• 2 boiled egg yolks
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 120ml olive oil
• 200g mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Vitello tonnato

Method:

For the veal:

• Seasoning the veal. Place the meat in a large saucepan with the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Pour the white wine over the meat, cover, and leave for about 30 minutes to allow the meat to marinate.
• Add the water to the saucepan, gently bring it to boil and turn the heat right down. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes until reaches 55 degrees internal temperature.
• Remove the meat from the liquid and allow it to cool down completely before use.

For the tuna sauce:

• Place the tuna, capers, anchovy fillets and egg yolks in a food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and mix for another 10 seconds. Season with black pepper and salt.
• Turn the food processor to the lowest speed and add the olive oil, slowly, in a single stream. To finish the sauce, add mayonnaise.

To serve:

• Slice the veal as thinly as possible and place the slices on a large serving dish. Pour the sauce over the top of the meat, but leave some showing around the edge.
• Garnish with whole capers, confit cherry tomato and Parmesan.

New World Hoiana Beach Resort set within Hoiana Resort & Golf, Tây Sơn Tây Hamlet, Duy Hải Commune, Duy Xuyên District, Quảng Nam Province, Tel: (0235) 8586 999. VNS