Vitello Tonnato (cold Veal With Tuna Sauce)

Total Time: 25 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 24 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 lbs boneless veal roast, tied securely at one inch intervals (a solid cylindrical piece of meat, usually from the leg, with fascia and membranes removed)
• 2 carrots, peeled and quartered
• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 stalk celery, quartered
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 black peppercorns
• water, to cover
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, preferably homemade (lol. just don't use salad dressing)
• 6 1/2 ounces tuna, preferably packed in oil, drained
• 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1/2 small onions or 1/4 cup scallion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup cold milk, approximately
• 2 tablespoons small drained capers
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)
• decorative lemon slice (optional)

Recipe

• 1 for the veal place the meat, carrots, onions, celery, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns in a fairly snug pot and add water to cover.
• 2 cover and simmer for one hour. check from time to time to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom.
• 3 let cool in the cooking liquid for one hour.
• 4 cover the veal with a plate and 2 lb weight and cool completely in the cooking liquid. (the purpose of weighing down the meat is to insure compact slices when cut. i usually omit this step because i don't have a kitchen weight.).
• 5 store in refrigerator until assembly. if you feel creative, you could make something good with the broth; otherwise, it is discarded.
• 6 for the tuna sauce whip the mayonnaise, tuna, anchovy fillets, onion, and lemon juice at high speed in the processor fitted with a steel blade.
• 7 with the motor running add the milk in a thin stream until the desired consistency is reached. it should be thick but pourable.
• 8 for the assembly remove and discard any remaining bits of rubbery membrane on the veal and slice it thinly, no more than 1/4 inch thick. if some of the slices crumble, don't despair. it will still be good.
• 9 smear 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a rimmed platter (i prefer glass).
• 10 place the veal slices in slightly overlapping circles in the platter, and cover generously and completely with the sauce.
• 11 if you have more veal you can add another layer; just be sure that all is covered by the sauce.
• 12 (if you have more sauce than you need (it is tasty), you can combine it with cubed cooked cold chicken, turkey, or fish, or pour it over cold hard-boiled eggs.).
• 13 the dish should cool in the refrigerator for several hours or up to 2-3 days, covered with plastic wrap.
• 14 before serving sprinkle on the capers, optional parsley, and garnish with the lemon slices, if desired.