A carpaccio of veal roast and an addictive cream of tuna, this is the glamour combo of vitello tonnato, the cult and rather light dish of the Piedmont region. This recipe is excerpted from the book L’Italie de Roberta, by Roberta Nacmias and Sébastien Cauchon, published by Editions Brigitte Eveno, €19.90.
6 PERS
PREPARATION: 35 min
COOKING : 1h40
RESTING TIME : 3h30
Place the filet mignon in a pot and cover with white wine. Complete with cold water: it must be half immersed. Add the laurel leaves, the lemon cut into quarters and a pinch of coarse salt. Allow to simmer for 1 h 30 with a top on the pot.
Remove the top and increase the intensity of the flame to reduce the cooking juices for 10 min. Turn off the heat and allow the meat to cool in its juice at room temperature during 30 min. Then place the pot for 1 h in the icebox.
Take out the filet mignon from the pot and wipe it off. Cut the mean in very thin slices (as for a carpaccio). Place the slices on the serving platter, slightly overlapping each other.
Prepare the tuna cream. In a bowl beat the yolks with a fork, then incorporate the oil little by little pouring just a tiny dash in order to make a mayonnaise. Salt, pepper and add the lemon juice. Mix the mayonnaise with the drained tuna until you obtain an unctuous cream.
Pour the cream of tuna on the veal slices and decorate with the capers (I sometimes add slivers of raw carrots and cornichons (small pickles). Place the dish in the icebox during at least 2 h before serving.
Also check out the trattoria of Roberta in Montmartre.
L’Italie de Roberta, by Roberta Nacmias and Sébastien Cauchon, published by Editions Brigitte Eveno, €19.90.
