veal with tuna sauce

vitello tonnato

6 to 8 servings

• 2½ pounds lean veal roast, preferably top round, tied
• 1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 6 sage leaves
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt
• 1½ (7-ounce) cans tuna in olive oil
• 3 large eggs, hard boiled
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 anchovy filets
• 3 tablespoons capers, soaked and rinsed, plus extra for garnish
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 dill pickles, thinly sliced

Place veal into a large bowl. Add wine, carrot, celery, sage, cloves and bay leaves. Cover and marinate, chilled, for 12 to 24 hours.

Transfer veal to a large, heavy pot. Strain marinating liquid into pot; discard solids. Add enough water to just cover veal, then remove meat from pot and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, return meat to pot, lightly salt and simmer for 2 hours, adding more water if necessary to keep veal just covered. Remove pot from heat and let veal cool in the stock.

Meanwhile, drain tuna and remove yolks from eggs; discard whites. In a food processor or blender, puree tuna, oil, egg yolks, anchovies, capers, lemon juice, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the stock from the veal until smooth; add more stock, little by little, until sauce is the consistency of heavy cream.

Remove strings from veal, thinly slice meat and arrange on a platter. Cover veal with tuna sauce, then cover platter with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before serving. Bring to room temperature, garnish with pickles and capers, and serve.