Vitello tonnato is a traditional Argentinian holiday dish, inspired by the Italian recipe for veal in tuna sauce. In Argentina, this dish is especially popular during the holiday season. This gluten-free dish consists of tender slices of veal topped with a creamy sauce made with tuna, capers, and anchovies. Refreshing and deliciously fragrant, vitello tonnato is perfect as an elegant appetizer or a light main course during celebrations.

Vitello Tonnato

Argentina

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Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 90 minutes Rest time 1 hrs Total time 2 hours 45 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner Servings: 6

Recipe themes: N Christmas

Ingredients

Servings

• For the veal:

• 1 kg of veal roast (from the top round or bottom round)

• 1 carrot, cut into pieces

• 1 onion, cut into pieces

• 2 celery stalks

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• For the tonnato sauce:

• 200g of canned tuna, drained

• 4 anchovy fillet

• 2 tablespoons of capers

• 100 ml of gluten-free mayonnaise

• 100 ml of fresh cream or plant-based cream

• Juice of half a lemon

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• For the garnish:

• A few whole capers

• Fresh, chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Cooking the veal: Place the veal roast in a deep pan or Dutch oven and cover it with water. Add the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the veal is tender. Once cooked, remove the veal from the broth and let it cool completely before slicing it thinly.
2. Tonnato sauce preparation: In a blender, combine the tuna, anchovies, capers, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Add the cream and blend again. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
3. To assemble the dish: Arrange the cooled veal slices on a serving platter. Generously coat them with tonnato sauce, making sure to cover each slice completely.
4. Garnish and presentation: Decorate the dish with whole capers and some chopped fresh parsley for a touch of color and freshness.
5. Resting and serving: Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. Vitello tonnato is best enjoyed cold, making it ideal for festive meals.

Note

I made a silly mistake and started by putting in green peppercorns from Madagascar instead of capers. I decided to leave them in and add the capers. Good news, it was absolutely delicious!

Keywords: Vitello Tonnato, Argentinian recipe, gluten-free veal recipe

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