Instructions
Put the veal in a snug pot with the wine, onion, carrot, celery, and a teaspoon of salt. Cover with cold water by two fingers, bring barely to a simmer, and skim.
10 minPoach at the gentlest possible simmer until an instant-read thermometer shows 62 to 65 C at the center, 45 to 50 minutes. The water should shiver, never boil.
50 minTurn off the heat and let the veal cool completely in its broth, ideally to room temperature and then refrigerated. This keeps it rosy and seasoned.
120 minHard-cook the eggs (9 minutes from boiling), cool, and peel. Keep the yolks for the sauce.
12 minBlend the tuna, anchovies, capers, egg yolks, and lemon juice, streaming in the olive oil and then a few spoonfuls of the cooled poaching broth until the sauce is smooth, pale, and pourable. Season carefully; the anchovies and capers carry salt.
8 minSlice the cold veal as thinly as you can with a long sharp knife, almost carpaccio-thin, and shingle the slices on a wide platter.
10 minCoat the veal with the sauce, cover, and rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (overnight is traditional). Garnish with whole capers and serve cool, not ice-cold.
60 min
Chef's Tips
- The broth is the secret: Loosen the sauce with poaching broth rather than more oil. It ties the sauce to the meat and keeps it light enough to pour.
- Slice cold, serve cool: Chill the veal thoroughly before slicing; a cold roast cuts thin without tearing. Then let the dressed platter lose its refrigerator chill before serving.
- The nineteenth-century version contains no mayonnaise. If your sauce tastes flat, the fix is another anchovy, not more lemon.
