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History
The dish has been mentioned since the 18th century, at first without tuna. The tuna sauce appears in the second half of the 19th century, in Dubini's 1858 cookbook and in Artusi's 1891 recipe, and the modern mayonnaise-based sauce spread after 1950. In Milan the Michelin Guide cites Trippa's vitello tonnato, and Antica Trattoria della Pesa, Boeucc, Giannino and Camparino in Galleria list it.
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Common allergens: Fish, Egg, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1kg veal eye-of-round (girello) or topside
- 1 carrot, halved
- 1 celery stalk, halved
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch parsley stalks
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1.5L water
- 200ml dry white wine
- For the tuna sauce: 1 (160g) tin good-quality tuna in olive oil (drained), 4 anchovy fillets in oil (drained), 2 tbsp capers in brine (drained, plus extra for garnish), 2 large egg yolks, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 200ml extra-virgin olive oil (mild, not peppery), juice of half a lemon
- Capers, lemon zest and parsley for garnish
Method
- Place the veal in a heavy pot. Add carrot, celery, onion, bay, parsley stalks, peppercorns and salt. Cover with the water and white wine.
- Bring to a bare simmer (the surface should barely tremble). Skim any foam from the surface in the first 15 minutes.
- Simmer at the barest setting for 90 minutes; the meat is cooked when a thermometer reads 65°C / 150°F at the centre. Do not boil hard or the veal turns dry and stringy.
- Cool the veal in its broth, then cover and chill at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The veal will firm up and slice cleanly.
- Make the tuna sauce: combine drained tuna, anchovies, capers, egg yolks and white wine vinegar in a blender. Blitz to a smooth paste.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a thin steady stream to emulsify into a thick mayonnaise-like sauce. Add the lemon juice; pulse to combine. Taste; correct salt (it usually does not need any; the anchovies and capers carry it).
- Slice the cold veal as thinly as you can (3mm) with a sharp knife, against the grain.
- Arrange the slices in a single overlapping layer on a large platter.
- Spoon the tuna sauce generously over to fully cover the veal (do not skimp; the sauce is the dish).
- Garnish with whole capers, lemon zest and torn parsley. Serve cold.
Tip from the editors. Slice the cold veal very thin and cover each slice completely with the tuna sauce; the dish is served cold.
Where to eat vitello tonnato
Vitello Tonnato in Milan
Trippa ★ 4.8
Trippa is a trattoria at Via Giorgio Vasari 1 in Milan serving dishes from all over Italy, including the tripe that gives the restaurant its name.
OrderMilanese risotto with grilled marrow, vitello tonnato and the tripe that names the place.
TipThe menu changes daily with the availability and seasonality of the raw ingredients, so ask which dishes are on today.
Antica Trattoria della Pesa ★ 4.2
Antica Trattoria della Pesa, at Viale Pasubio 10, is one of the oldest restaurants in Milan, serving typical Lombard cuisine in a refined setting since 1880.
TipThe owners have kept the furnishings unchanged, with majolica stoves and old plaques, and Ho Chi Minh worked here in the 1930s.
Boeucc ★ 4.0
Boeucc, at Corso Monforte 16, has been the Antico Ristorante della Tradizione Milanese since 1696, an icon where tradition and refinement meet.
TipElegant attire is appreciated; the restaurant is closed Saturday for lunch and all day Sunday.
Giannino ★ 4.3
Giannino has served Milan since 1899, born in the belle époque and for over a century a reference point for the city's most reserved circles.
OrderRisotto alla milanese, and panettone to finish, both on the table during Oh Bej! from 7 December.
TipGroups can book a private room for 8 guests up to the whole restaurant for 100 covers, in the period rooms of Via Vittor Pisani.
Camparino in Galleria ★ 4.2
Camparino in Galleria has served the Milanese Aperitivo since 1915 from its place overlooking the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Piazza Duomo.
DrinkCampari cocktails
FoodBreakfast, lunch, aperitivo and dinner
Vitello Tonnato in Turin
Le Vitel Etonne ★ 4.3
Le Vitel Etonne in Turin's Centro builds the carte around vitello tonnato in many guises, plus a Piedmontese tasting from the Susigan kitchen.
SignatureVitello tonnato (multiple cuts), Agnolotti del plin, Tajarin
Tre Galline ★ 4.4
Tre Galline in Turin's Quadrilatero has run an inn on this street since the mid-XVI century. Bollito misto trolley, battuta of Fassona, vitello tonnato.
Book1 to 2 weeks ahead
Consorzio ★ 4.5
Consorzio in Turin's Quadrilatero Romano is a slow-food trattoria with a fine-dining wine list. Agnolotti del plin, finanziera ravioli, deep cellar.
Book1 to 2 weeks ahead
Trattoria Valenza ★ 4.2
Trattoria Valenza on Borgo Dora next to Porta Palazzo is a trattoria visitors walk past on the way to the market; full Piedmontese carte, live music nights.
Why locals goA Borgo Dora trattoria right next to Porta Palazzo that visitors walk past on the way to the market.
TipThursday and Saturday have live music; book those nights ahead, lunch is walk-in on the corner outside Porta Palazzo.
More cities are in research. Want vitello tonnato covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.