Veal tonnato, tender and flavorful, but in a finger food version… served inside small puff pastry buns, crispy and golden. An alternative way to serve a classic dish, perfect for a brunch or an appetizer buffet. The preparation is very simple, even though there are several steps… however, you can cook the meat the day before (which I recommend) and prepare the sauce in advance, so you’ll only need to handle the puff pastry. Try this recipe, I assure you that the finger foods will disappear quickly!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 345.67 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.81 (g) of which sugars 0.42 (g)
- Proteins 16.74 (g)
- Fat 21.81 (g) of which saturated 4.63 (g)of which unsaturated 15.35 (g)
- Fibers 0.99 (g)
- Sodium 282.84 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs veal (eye round)
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- Half stalk celery
- water
- salt
- 7 oz canned tuna in oil
- 7 oz mayonnaise
- 3 fillets anchovies in oil
- 2 tbsps capers
- parsley (or other aromatic herbs)
- 2 rolls puff pastry (rectangular)
- 1 egg
- Maldon salt (to taste)
- sesame seeds (to taste)
Tools
- Pot
- Slicer
- Mixer
- Bowl
- Baking Tray
- Brush
Preparation
Clean the eye round of veal by removing any fatty parts or cartilage.
Prepare a vegetable broth by bringing a pot of water to a boil with the carrot, celery, onion, and a generous pinch of salt. If you like, you can add other vegetables, like a zucchini or a tomato.
Submerge the meat (1) and let it cook over low heat for about 35 minutes (a little longer if you want it less pink in the center).
At the end, remove the meat from the broth and let it cool on a sheet of parchment paper. Once cool, wrap it in the paper and a sheet of foil, then let it rest in the refrigerator.
Now prepare the sauce: place in a mixer the tuna (drained from oil), 1-2 tablespoons of desalted capers, anchovy fillets and a sprig of parsley. Blend until you get a smooth mixture… if needed, you can add a little broth from the meat.
Transfer everything to a bowl, add the mayonnaise and mix. Adjust the salt if necessary.
Open the puff pastry and divide each roll into 20 squares. Place them on 2 baking trays, brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds (2).
Bake in a fan oven at 356°F for 12-13 minutes, until the pastry is dry, golden, but not too dry.
Let them cool for a few minutes, then open the squares with a knife, being careful not to break them.
Take the meat and cut it into very thin slices, using a slicer if you have one (3).
Fill each puff pastry bun with 1-2 slices of meat and 1-2 teaspoons of tuna sauce (4). If desired, garnish with fresh aromatic herbs or whole capers.
The veal tonnato finger food is ready, arrange the squares on a tray and serve them as an appetizer… they are really delicious!
Tips and Notes
If possible, cook the meat the day before… the cooler it is, the easier it will be to cut thin and even slices.
For the cooking times, calculate about 30 minutes for every 500 g of meat weight. You can slightly increase it, but don’t extend too much, otherwise the slices will be too dry and tend to crumble.
FAQ
Can I use other sauces?
Of course, you can replace the tuna sauce with green sauce, tartar sauce, or a simple mayonnaise.
Can I use other cuts of meat?
You can use a cut of beef for roast beef. For this recipe, I do not recommend pork or turkey (they must be well cooked and would make it difficult to fill the buns).
