Vitello Tonnato — The Surf Meets The Pasture
Cold veal, tuna emulsion, a Piedmont summer on a plate
This dish has been the quiet hero of Piedmont tables since the 1800s — rare, silky veal draped in a tuna and anchovy emulsion that shouldn't work but absolutely does. It's the kind of thing that gets passed down without fuss, pulled out in June when the heat hits and you want something cold, elegant, and a little bit wrong in the best way. We source our veal from the valleys above Alba; the tuna comes tinned from the Ligurian coast, where they know the job.
How to Cook It
- 01
Sear and chill the veal
Pat the veal dry, season generously inside and out. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan until almost smoking. Sear the tied roast for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden-brown and rare in the centre (aim for 50°C internal). Let it rest 10 minutes, then wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight — this firms the meat for slicing paper-thin.
~20 min - 02
Make the tuna emulsion
Rinse and fillet your salted anchovies. Drain the tinned tuna, then pound it with the anchovies in a mortar until you have a rough paste. Add the egg yolks and whisk gently. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you whisk, as if making mayonnaise — the emulsion should become pale, thick, and silky. Season with lemon juice, taste and adjust for salt and anchovies.
~15 min - 03
Rinse and ready the capers
Soak the salt capers in cold water for 5 minutes to soften and desalt them slightly — you want them bright and snappy, not a briny shock. Drain well and pat dry. Roughly chop half and leave the rest whole for garnish.
~10 min - 04
Slice the veal paper-thin
Remove the cold veal from the fridge. Using a very sharp slicing knife or a meat slicer, cut the roast into translucent slices — they should be thin enough to drape. Arrange them on a cold platter, slightly overlapping.
~10 min - 05
Blanket and garnish
Spoon the tuna emulsion over the veal slices in a generous, even layer. Scatter the chopped capers over the top, then dot with the whole capers for visual contrast. Zest a little lemon over the dish, squeeze juice around the plate, and finish with a grind of black pepper. Chill until service.
~5 min
“This dish is not fussy — it's generous and direct. Slice your veal onto a cold, wide platter (never a stack; vitello tonnato breathes). Spoon the tuna emulsion across, letting some run into the gaps. Scatter your capers with confidence, not tweezers. A few lemon wedges on the side, grinder of pepper in reach. Serve straight from the cold platter. The beauty is in the contrast — pale veal, golden emulsion, bright green capers — and the temperature. Do not overthink it.”
Silky, cold veal on the tongue first — almost melting, delicate. Then the tuna hits, warm and salted, with a glint of anchovy and a punch of caper. The emulsion is rich but lifted by lemon and the cleanness of the cold meat. It's improbable (meat and fish) and perfect. Finish with a flash of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon — suddenly you're in a Piedmont garden in July, and you understand why this has lasted 200 years.
Replace the veal with 800g of thinly sliced roasted king oyster mushroom or cauliflower steak (seared rare-rare on high heat, then chilled). For the emulsion, blend 200g tinned tuna with 100g silken tofu, 2 tbsp aquafaba (chickpea liquid), 80g chopped capers, rinsed salted anchovies (if you eat them — or use a splash of miso and extra capers for umami), lemon juice and 300ml olive oil. The capers, lemon and black pepper finish the same way. The dish loses none of its elegance; the emulsion becomes airier, the umami deepens differently, and the cold mushroom or cauliflower holds the sauce brilliantly.
Crisp, mineral, with a touch of salinity — mirrors the dish's briny-umami depth and cools the richness of the emulsion
Coastal, fresh, a little herbal — feels like you're eating by the sea, even if you're inland
Chill it, add fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon — cuts through the richness, simple and honest
- ·Slice your veal ice-cold and paper-thin — it should be translucent enough to read through. A meat slicer is worth the hire if you don't own one.
- ·The emulsion must be made slow and steady, like mayo. Rush it and it splits. If it does split, start again with a fresh yolk and whisk the broken emulsion back in drop by drop.
- ·Don't salt the veal aggressively before searing — the emulsion is salty enough. Taste and adjust only after assembly.
- ·This dish wants to be made the day before and left untouched in the fridge. Flavours marry overnight; service is just plating and a grind of pepper.
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