Today we’re embarking on a culinary tour of Europe to master two magnificent classic dishes. One is refined and chilled—perfect for summer. The other is warming and aromatic, made for a cold evening.
💡 The Concept: A cold, elegant meat dish where melt-in-your-mouth poached veal is served under a creamy sauce of tuna and capers. The ideal appetizer or light main course for warm weather.
🛒 Ingredients (serves 4):
For the sauce:
👨🍳 Method:
Prep the broth. Peel and roughly chop the carrot, celery, and onion. In a pot large enough to fit the meat, pour in cold water (about 2–2.5 liters), add the vegetables, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil.
Poach the veal. Lower the veal into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to medium so the broth simmers gently rather than boils. Cook with the lid slightly ajar for 1–1.5 hours. Doneness test: the meat should be very tender, and a sharp knife or skewer should slide into the thickest part with ease.
Chill the meat. Remove the veal from the broth, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours—overnight is better. This step is critical for clean slicing and the right texture.
Make the sauce. In a blender, combine the tuna (drained), anchovies (if using), capers, hard-boiled yolk, and lemon juice. Blend into a paste.
Emulsify the sauce. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The sauce will thicken and lighten, turning into a smooth, creamy consistency. If it’s too thick, thin with 1–2 tablespoons of the veal broth.
Assemble the dish. Remove the well-chilled veal and slice it as thinly as possible—almost translucent. Arrange the slices overlapping on a platter. Generously drizzle with the tonnato sauce.
Serve. Let the dish rest in the fridge for 15–20 minutes before serving so the flavors meld. Garnish with capers or parsley leaves.
💡 Fun Fact: Vitello tonnato hails from Piedmont in northern Italy. Historically, it was a preservation method—the fatty tuna-based sauce protected the cooked meat from spoiling in the summer heat.
💡 The Concept: A juicy pork roulade stuffed with onions, bacon, and pickles, roasted to a golden crust and braised in a rich mushroom sauce. A cornerstone of German home cooking.
🛒 Ingredients (serves 4–5):
For the sauce:
👨🍳 Method:
Prep the meat. If the cut is thick, slice it lengthwise but not all the way through—open it like a book. Pound to an even thickness of about 2–3 cm. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
The filling. Finely chop the onion and pickles. On medium heat, fry the bacon until it renders fat, then add the onion and cook until soft (5–7 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in the pickles.
Form the roulade. Spread the filling evenly over the meat, leaving a 2 cm border. Tightly roll the meat into a roulade (start with the longer side). Tie with kitchen twine in several places to secure.
Sear the roulade. Heat oil in a deep ovenproof dish or Dutch oven. Sear the roulade on all sides over high heat until a uniform golden-brown crust forms (about 8–10 minutes).
Braise. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Pour broth into the dish until it reaches halfway up the roulade. Cover with a lid (or foil) and bake for 1 hour.
Make the mushroom sauce. While the meat cooks, slice the mushrooms and dice the onion. In a pan, sauté the onion until translucent, add the mushrooms, and cook until the liquid evaporates and they brown slightly. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with a little broth from the roulade, add thyme, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and heat through—do not boil.
Serve. Remove the roulade from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes under foil. Remove the twine, slice into thick pieces. Serve with a generous helping of mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes or dumplings.
💡 Fun Fact: "Jäger" means "hunter" in German. This dish was originally made with game brought back from the hunt. Over time, game was replaced with more accessible pork, but the thick mushroom sauce—evoking the forest—remains a defining feature.