VITELLO TONNATO

I've served this Italian favorite many times and it makes a perfect summer dish. I love being able to prepare something ahead, especially a whole day ahead, leaving the day of the dinner party available for creating other parts of the meal. This is a rich and somewhat complicated dish so make the rest of your meal simple and refreshing...perhaps some sliced tomatoes, a green salad, some dry white wine, fruit for dessert. I have quite a few recipes for Vitello Tonnato in my many cookbooks but this one is my favorite, from Marcella Hazan. Stay with it; it's worth it.

VITELLO TONNATO

serves 6-8

For the veal:

1 1/2 C dry white wine

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, peeld and cut into quarters

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 leek, white part only, rinsed and chopped

4 sprigs fresh marjoram

4 sprigs fresh thyme

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 to 2 1/2 lb veal roast, top round, trussed (it should be no thicker than 3" in diameter)

For the sauce:

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

sea salt

2 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil (extra here is important)

5 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (don't even think about using that bottled stuff)

1 7-oz can tuna, packed in oil

5 anchovy filets

3 T capers, drained

thin slices of lemon, pitted black olives, capers, chopped parsley and anchovy filets for garnish

1. In a pot just large enough to fit veal, put wine, celery, onion, carrot, leek, marjoram, thyme and garlic. Add 3-inches of water and bring to a boil. Add veal, and bring back to a boil. Immediately turn off heat, cover pot and let veal cool in its liquid 2-3 hours. When completely cool, slice veal thinly. Slices should be about 1/16 to 1/8 inches thick. Discard cooking liquid (or strain it and freeze it for veal stock, which is delicious in soup.)

2. While the veal cools, make the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 t salt until pale yellow and the consistency of cream. Beginning a drop at a time, add 1 1/4 C oil, whisking continually. As the mixture thickens, you can add oil more quickly. When it gets quite thick, whisk in 1 T lemon juice. Continue adding oil until all of it has been absorbed and mayonnaise is quite thick and shiny. Whisk in another 1 T lemon juice.

3. Drain tuna, and put it in a food processor with anchovies, remaining cup olive oil, remaining lemon juice and capers. Process until you get a creamy, uniformly blended sauce. Scrape sauce into bowl with mayonnaise and fold to combine. Taste. It should be quite tangy and highly seasoned. Refrigerate until needed.

4. To assemble: remove 3/4 C sauce, and reserve to serve alongside meal. Smear bottom of a large serving platter with some of the remaining tuna sauce. Place a layer of veal slices on top, meeting edge to edge without overlapping (you want all of the veal exposed to the sauce). Cover with sauce, then make another layer of meat and sauce. Repeat until all the meat is used. Leave yourself enough sauce to blanket the top.

5. Cover with plastic wrap, and refriegerat for at least 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving. Garnish with some or all suggested ingredients. Serve with reserved sauce on the side.