Book of Days Tales

According to Roman historian, Livy, the temple in Rome to the heavenly twins, Castor and Pollux, was dedicated on this day in 484 BCE, and subsequently became their celebratory day. Castor and Pollux were recorded in Greek and Roman legend as twin half-brothers, with the same mother, Leda, but different fathers. Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, while Pollux was the divine son of Zeus, who raped Leda in the guise of a swan. They play a part in a great deal of epic poetry because Helen of Troy was their sister, and they had an active role in her defense.  Zeus immortalized both as the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini.

In cooking, chefs sometimes say that the pairing of unusual ingredients that is a surprise and delight can be described as Castor and Pollux – beluga and vodka or strawberries and champagne.  My Castor and Pollux pairing for today is meat and fish – specifically veal and tuna in the classic dish vitello tonnato (tunnied veal).  I will walk you through the recipe in the old fashioned way.

Begin with a 2 ½ pound veal rump roast.  Bake in the hottest oven possible with a meat thermometer inserted.  Remove the roast when the internal temperature reaches 135°F/57°C. Remove from the oven, wrap in foil, let cool and then refrigerate.

The tricky part is making a mayonnaise from scratch as the binding for your tuna.  Use the whisk attachment on a food processor, or whisk by hand 2 egg yolks and the juice of ½ lemon, until light and fluffy.  Have 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil to hand. Whilst constantly whisking add 1 tablespoon on oil. When fully incorporated add another tablespoon.  Keep adding oil slowly until the mixture starts to emulsify, and then add in the oil more steadily in a slow stream until it is all used. 

Find 12 ounces of the very best tuna in olive oil you can.  Flake it into the mayonnaise along with 12 salted anchovies, 3 tablespoons of capers, and 1 tablespoon of fresh, finely chopped parsley, plus salt and pepper to taste. Give the mixture a few pulses of the processor to combine everything together, but not so much as to break up the solids completely.  Slice the chilled veal as thinly as possible.  Spread a layer of the tonnato sauce over a serving platter, arrange the veal in a layer over it, and then pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top leaving some of the veal exposed.  Cover and refrigerate.  The dish will keep for at least 2 days in the refrigerator and will benefit from extra time to develop flavors.  Garnish with capers and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4