GETTING READY:

1. Make deep incisions along the length of the veal with a sharp knife.

2. In each piece insert a 1-inch piece of anchovy and a sliver of garlic.

MAKING:

3. In a large saucepan,blanch the veal by covering it with cold water and boiling it over a high heat for 1 minute.

4. Pour off the excess water.

5. Quickly rinse the meat of its scum in cold water.

6. In a heavy saucepan place the veals.

7. Add the chicken stock, wine, water, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, parsley and peppercorns.

8. Add water or chicken stock, if the liquid does not quite cover the meat completely.

9. Place the pan on heat, and bring to the boil.

10. Reduce the heat and simmer the veal slowly, partially covered, for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, until the veal is tender. Check if the veal is cooking by piercing with a sharp knife.

11. Remove the pan from the heat.

12. Let the veal cook in the stock.

13. Ladle out about 6 tablespoons of the stock.

14. Strain it through a fine sieve, and put it aside in a cup or bowl to cool.

15. Meanwhile, prepare the tunny-fish mayonnaise. If you have a blender, all you need to do is to put all the oil, the egg yolk, tunny fish, 4 anchovy fillets and lemon juice in the jar of the blender and whirl the ingredients at high speed for no more than about 10 seconds, until the mixture is a puree.

16. Transfer it to a small mixing bowl and stir in the cream gradually.

17. Add the cooled, strained braising stock from the veal 2 tablespoons at a time until the sauce is thinned to the consistency of a thick cream. You probably will need about 3 tablespoons of the braising stock in all.

If you do not have a blender, chop the tunny fish and anchovies by hand; then, using the back of a wooden spoon, rub them through a fine sieve into a small bowl.

Beat the egg yolk in another small bowl for 1 to 2 minutes using a wire whisk or a rotary egg beater.

Stir the puree and lemon juice into the egg yolk, then dribble in the oil 1 teaspoonful at a time, beating constantly.

After adding 3 tablespoons of the oil, the sauce should be very thick and smooth.

Add the remaining oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, still beating.

Then mix in the cream and enough of the cooled stock to thin the sauce to the consistency of thick cream.

18. Stir in the capers.

19. Taste the sauce for seasoning.

FINALIZING

20. When the veal is cool, transfer it to a carving board.

21. Strain the braising stock and refrigerate for use in soups or sauces.

22. Trim the veal of any fat or gristle and cut the meat into thin, even slices.

23. Spread a thin film of tunny-fish sauce in the bottom of a plate or baking dish and arrange the veal in the sauce, laying the slices side by side.

24. Pour the rest of the sauce over the veal, smoothing it with a spatula to mask each slice.

25. Cover the dish with a sheet of plastic and refrigerate the Vitello Tionnato for at least 2 to 3 hours-€”or overnight or longer, if possible.

SERVING:

15. Serve Vitello Tonnato cold, garnished with parsley.