I love Italian food, especially all the tantalising antipasti that are always so colourful and tasty. I came across the classic 'Vitello Tonnato' in Piedmont - a chilled surf and turf dish bursting with flavour. Here's my recipe with wines to match.

Vitello Tonnato

  • 500g loin of veal
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp of mustard
  • 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
  • 200g neutral oil
  • 5 fillets of anchovies
  • 1 tbsp of capers
  • 150g Tuna in olive oil
  • 150g lamb’s lettuce
  • Salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Season the meat with salt and pepper before wrapping tightly in cling film.
  2. Then gently put the meat in simmering water for approximately 20 minutes, depending on how you enjoy eating your meat.
  3. Once cooked, let the meat rest for 1 hour before putting in the fridge overnight. It will be a lot easier to slice when cold.
  4. To make the sauce you must first create a classic mayonnaise by mixing the egg yolk, mustard and a dash of vinegar together.
  5. Continue by adding the oil, whisking thoroughly until the sauce emulsifies.
  6. All the other ingredients must then be mixed together with a hand blender until you achieve a smooth paste.
  7. A couple of tablespoons of water might be needed to achieve the right consistency.
  8. Now combine the two sauces together and season with salt and pepper.
  9. Usually the veal is sliced very finely, but in this case I prefer to cut nice rectangles for more texture.
  10. Serve with abundance of sauce and a well-seasoned lamb’s lettuce.

Michel Roux Jr

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Michel Roux Jr’s wines to drink

Michel Chapoutier, Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche Blanc: This is a young, fresh and well-balanced wine that blends Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc grapes. An astringent white wine with green apple and citrus aromas that pair perfectly with Mediterranean flavours.

RRP: £6.56 from Majestic Wines

Domaine Hubert Lamy, Chassagne-Montrachet, Le Concis du Champs: The creamy texture of this wine resembles the creaminess of the veal sauce. Whilst the perfect acidity holds its own with the capers and anchovies.

RRP: £42.50 from Berry Bros and Rudd

More about the wine

This is a personal favourite of mine; affordable, young, fresh and well-balanced Côte du Rhône Belleruche Blanc from Michel Chapoutier.

The blending of Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc exude fantastic green apple and citrus aromas that counterbalance the richness of the Tonnato sauce. This astringent white wine combines perfectly with typical Mediterranean flavours.

To perfectly complement the creaminess of the veal sauce, the velvety texture of the Chassagne-Montrachet, Le Concis du Champs, Domaine Hubert Lamy, 2011 is sublime.

Full of oaky and fruity notes, the maturity and acidity of this wine will extend and strengthen the salinity of the Tonnato sauce. Delicate, fresh and balanced between lightly grilled and spicy notes this wine makes any occasion special.

Michel Roux Jr
Michel Roux Jr
Columnist
Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’  Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen.  Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’.  Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel.  ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.