Vitello tonnato is Piedmont's great summer dish—cold sliced veal blanketed in a creamy, tangy tuna sauce that sounds improbable and tastes inevitable, the combination of meat and fish achieving a harmony that is one of Italian cuisine's most inspired pairings. The dish's origins are likely 18th-century, when tuna preserved in olive oil was an expensive import that Piedmontese aristocrats combined with local veal to create a dish of deliberate luxury. The veal—a whole eye of round or topside—is simmered gently in a court-bouillon of white wine, aromatic vegetables (carrot, celery, onion), bay leaves, and peppercorns until cooked through but still pink and moist. The cooked veal is cooled completely, then sliced tissue-paper thin across the grain. The tuna sauce (salsa tonnata) is the soul: high-quality tuna preserved in olive oil, salt-packed anchovies (rinsed), capers, hard-boiled egg yolks, lemon juice, and olive oil are pounded or blended into a smooth, mayonnaise-like emulsion. The traditional version achieves this creaminess through the emulsification of the tuna oil and egg yolks—no actual mayonnaise is used, though modern versions often incorporate it for convenience. The thin veal slices are arranged on a platter, each layer napped generously with the tuna sauce, then refrigerated for several hours (ideally overnight) to allow the flavours to penetrate the meat. Additional capers and a drizzle of olive oil finish the dish. Vitello tonnato is served cold as an antipasto or a light secondo, ideally in the heat of a Piedmontese summer when its cool richness is most welcome. The dish must be made well in advance—the overnight rest is not optional but essential for the tuna sauce to flavour the veal throughout.
Poach veal gently until just cooked, then cool completely. Make tuna sauce from quality canned tuna, anchovies, capers, egg yolks, lemon. Slice veal paper-thin. Layer with sauce and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold. The rest is essential.
The veal is best poached the day before and refrigerated in its cooking liquid. Slice while still slightly chilled for the thinnest cuts. Some Piedmontese cooks add a splash of the veal cooking liquid to thin the sauce. The dish keeps well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, improving each day.
Overcooking the veal (must be moist and slightly pink). Using low-quality tuna. Making the sauce too thick. Not resting overnight (flavours don't penetrate). Serving at room temperature (should be cold). Skipping the anchovies (essential depth).
Giovanni Goria, La Cucina del Piemonte; Pellegrino Artusi, La Scienza in Cucina