Vitello Tonnato

Ingredients

• 1.8 lbveal topside, in one piece, tied
• 3 1/2 ozcelery, roughly chopped
• 3 1/2 ozonion, halved
• 2bay leaves
• 1 cupdry white wine
• 7 oztuna in olive oil, drained
• 6anchovy fillets
• 5 1/4 ozmayonnaise
• 1 1/2 ozcapers, rinsed, half for the sauce and half to finish
• 1lemon, juice only
• 1/4 ozflat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tspsea salt

Method

1. 1

   Put the veal in a pan with the celery, onion, bay leaves, wine, half the salt and enough water to cover. Bring it to a bare tremble and hold it there — never let it boil.

2. 2

   Take the pan off the heat and leave the veal to cool completely in the liquid, then chill it in the broth for at least four hours or overnight.

3. 3

   Blend the tuna, anchovies, half the capers, the lemon juice and the mayonnaise until smooth, then loosen with spoonfuls of the cold poaching broth until it pours like double cream.

4. 4

   Lift the cold veal out, dry it, and slice it as thinly as the knife allows. Lay the slices overlapping across a large cold platter.

5. 5

   Pour the sauce over so the veal is completely covered, scatter with the remaining capers, the parsley and the rest of the salt, and leave it at room temperature for half an hour before serving.