You slice cold veal so thin the plate shows through, then blanket it in a pale sauce of tuna, capers, anchovy and lemon. It looks like a dare until you taste it: the fish does not announce itself; it makes the meat richer. You want that sauce spoonable, not stiff, covering every corner.
Piedmont's summer starter, a dish of the Langhe and Turin tables when the weather turns and nobody wants a hot kitchen. Artusi recorded a version; the mayonnaise-smooth sauce is the one that stuck.
Poach the veal gently and cool it in its broth. Chill an hour so the two become one. Capers over the top, not under.
Method
- 01
Put the veal in a pot with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and enough salted water to cover. Bring it just to a simmer — a bubble now and then, never a boil, or the meat will seize and turn dry. Let it poach gently until a fork meets little resistance, about 75 minutes. Then take it off the heat and cool the veal right in its broth; that keeps it silky.
- 02
In a blender, put the drained tuna, anchovies, capers, egg yolks, lemon juice, and oil, and let it go until you have a pale, spoonable sauce. If it looks stiff, loosen it with a spoonful of the veal broth — you want something that will blanket the meat, not sit in lumps. Taste: it should be savory and a little sharp, not fishy. Don't be alarmed by the tuna; it makes the veal richer, not stranger.
- 03
Lift the cold veal from its broth, pat it dry, and slice it as thinly as you dare — you should almost see the plate through each piece. Arrange the slices in a single overlapping layer. Then spoon the tuna sauce over the lot until the meat disappears under a pale blanket. Leave no dry corners; every bite should carry sauce.
- 04
Cover the plate and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, so the sauce and the meat become one thing instead of two. Don't skip this rest; it is when the dish gathers itself. Just before serving, scatter extra capers over the top — on top, not under, so they stay bright. Bring it out cold, on a warm day, and watch people change their minds.
