Vitello tonnato

Vitello tonnato (veal with a creamy tuna sauce) is a traditional Piedmont dish that we pair with a new rosé from Pasqua: Y by 11 Minutes Rosato Trevenezie 2020.

The original recipe did not use mayonnaise and it was a creamy sauce made with hard-boiled eggs, tuna and anchovies. Furthermore, the meat was not stewed in broth but cooked first in a pan and then baked.

The following recipe is based on that of the star Chef Davide Scabin but, as opposed to him, I maintained the classic presentation without stuffing each individual slice of veal and garnished it with arugula.

Ingredients for 4 people:

500g veal (round cut), 1 garlic clove, 1 glass white wine, 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 20g anchovy fillets in oil, the tuna from a drained can (125g net), 20g capers, 4 hard-boiled eggs, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (Scabin uses Marsala), 150g room-temperature milk, 40g vegetable broth, black peppercorns and salt.

For the garnish: 80g arugula, EVOO, pepper and salt.

Directions:

Tie the veal up with cooking twine (or have your butcher do it). Place the meat in a pan with the EVOO and garlic clove and season it with salt and pepper. Brown the veal on all sides at a medium-high heat for around 3 minutes.

Add to the pan the tuna, anchovies and capers. Sauté (the tuna should darken somewhat) and douse with the white wine. After a few minutes add in the milk and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Transfer the meat and sauce into the oven, pre-heated to 180°C, and bake for 7-8 minutes, turning the meat over to ensure it remains pink on the inside.

Take the meat out of the oven, cover it with aluminum foil and let it cool to room temperature.

In the meantime, boil the eggs (for about 9 minutes after the water boils) and when done let them cool before peeling them and cutting them into four quarters.

Put the eggs into a mixer with the juice from the meat, tuna, anchovies and capers (without the garlic). Blend while trickling in a little EVOO, the broth and balsamic vinegar (or Marsala) until you obtain a creamy sauce. Put the sauce into the refrigerator.

Remove the twine from the meat and cut into thin slices, to be placed on a serving platter with the tuna sauce at the center.

Season the arugula in a bowl with EVOO, salt and pepper and sue it to garnish the platter.

Wine to pair:

Y By 11 Minutes Rosato Trevenezie 2020 Pasqua

Light onion-skin color. The nose reminds of red fruits due to Corvina grape together with notes of citrus fruits and white flowers thanks to Trebbiano, all accompanied by vanilla and woody notes. The palate has a remarkable acidity which gives freshness and good structure thanks to Carmenère, with a harmonious finish of vanilla and cherry.

Production area: vineyards around Lake Garda.

Grape varieties: two indigenous varieties Corvina 60% and Trebbiano di Lugana (Turbiana) 30%, and an international variety, Carmenère 10%.

Harvest: mid-September.

Vinification: the red grapes are vinified after a very gentle pressing, the white grape of Trebbiano undergoes a light maceration on the skin for 8-10 hours. The must is chilled and transferred in steel tanks, where it remains enough time to separate the solid parts from liquid. Alcoholic fermentation follows at a temperature between 13° and 16° C. They keep monitoring the alcoholic fermentation on a daily basis; 10% of the blend finished the alcoholic fermentation in new tonneaux of French oak, medium toasted, while of the remaining part, 30% of the blend, is matured for 4 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux of second use.

Alcohol content: 13% vol.

Serving temperature: 12°C.

Suggested food pairings: aperitifs, pasta with “burrata” and vegetable; fish either grilled or in the oven, white and delicate meat dishes, like roast chicken or veal. Good match also with delicate goat or cows’ milk cheeses.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY PASQUA VIGNETI E CANTINE

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