Veal tenderloin with tuna mayonnaise (Vitello tonnato)

The tuna mayonnaise may sound odd as an accompaniment to veal, but adds a body to the condiment that echoes the classic combo of surf and turf. Food Safari Water

• serves

  4

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g piece veal girello (round eye fillet)
• sea salt
• 75 ml olive oil
• 1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped 
• 50 ml white wine 
• 25 ml white wine vinegar
• 10 g pine nuts, toasted
• 5 g capers
• handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Tuna mayonnaise

• 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 250 ml (1 cup) canola oil
• 150 g white tuna in oil
• 30 g anchovies
• 15 g capers

Parsley oil

• 200 g flat-leaf parsley, leaves only 
• 400 ml canola oil

Standing time: 2-3 hr

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Using kitchen string, truss the piece of veal to help hold its shape during cooking, then season all over with salt. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 20 minutes or until caramelized. Increase the heat to high and add veal to the pan. Cook, turning for 6-8 minutes or until browned on all sides. Deglaze the pan with the wine and vinegar. Transfer the vegetables and veal to a lined baking tray. Roast for 8 minutes, turn and then roast for another 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 2-3 hours or until it reaches room temperature.

Meanwhile, for the tuna mayonnaise, place the egg yolks in a jug and blitz with a stick blender until broken up. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and combine well. With the blender running constantly, slowly drizzle in the canola oil in a thin, steady stream until completely emulsified.

Blend the tuna and its oil, capers and anchovies in a high-speed blender until completely smooth. Add the mayonnaise and blend at maximum speed until a smooth cream forms. Transfer into a squeeze bottle and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the parsley oil, blanch the parsley leaves in a saucepan of boiling water for 20 seconds, then quickly remove and place in a bowl of iced water to arrest the cooking process. Drain and squeeze the leaves to get rid of excess water.

Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until it reaches 70°C. Transfer the oil to a high-speed blender and with the motor on low speed, gradually add the parsley. Increase the speed to high and blend for a couple of minutes or until bright green. our the oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter or a piece of paper towel and leave to drain for a couple of hours. Do not squeeze the paper.

To serve, slice the veal finely and place in a slightly overlapping circle on the serving plates. Cover with a generous amount of the tuna mayonnaise. Drizzle with parsley oil and garnish with pine nuts, capers and parsley leaves.

Maeve O'Meara is back in Food Safari Water airing 7.30pm, Wednesdays on SBS and then you can catch-up on all episodes via SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.