Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 600 g cooked turkey breast, thinly sliced
Tonnato Sauce
- 150 g canned tuna in olive oil, drained well
- 150 g mayonnaise
- 10 g anchovy fillets, drained
- 15 g capers, rinsed and drained
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 ml turkey or chicken broth
Garnish
- 10 g capers, rinsed and drained
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4 lemon wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 563 kcal
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 810 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 19 g
- Cholesterol
- 145 mg
- Potassium
- 509 mg
- Calcium
- 36 mg
- Iron
- 2.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 66 mg
- Phosphorus
- 480 mg
- Zinc
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin D
- 3.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 100 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.38 mg
- Niacin
- 22.9 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 166 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, anchovy fillets, 15g of capers, and lemon juice.
Blend the mixture on high speed until completely smooth and velvety. If the sauce appears too thick, slowly stream in the broth 15ml at a time while blending until it reaches a pourable consistency resembling heavy cream.
Arrange the cold, thinly sliced turkey breast evenly across a large serving platter, overlapping the slices slightly.
Spoon the tonnato sauce generously over the sliced turkey. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the sauce so it covers the meat almost completely, leaving just the edges of the turkey visible.
Cover the platter tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This resting period allows the flavors of the umami-rich sauce to penetrate and season the cold turkey.
Just before serving, remove the platter from the refrigerator. Garnish with the remaining whole capers, finely chopped fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Chef's Notes
- While traditionally made with poached veal, turkey breast offers an excellent lean canvas that absorbs the robust flavors of the tonnato sauce perfectly.
- Do not skip the chilling phase. Tonnato relies on the marination period in the refrigerator for the acidic, briny sauce to deeply flavor the neutral protein.
- Tuna packed in olive oil is crucial here rather than water-packed tuna. The oil contributes to the emulsion and mouthfeel, preventing the sauce from becoming watery or grainy.
- For the cleanest slices, ensure your leftover turkey is refrigerator-cold before attempting to slice it. A sharp carving knife will yield the thin, delicate pieces required for this dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store sauce and turkey in separate airtight containers if possible to maintain best texture.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too thick and clumpy
Cause: Insufficient moisture in the tuna or very stiff mayonnaise
Fix: Blend in room-temperature broth or water 5ml at a time until the desired silky consistency is reached
Prevention: Reserve some of the oil from the tuna can or have extra broth on hand
Sauce tastes overly fishy or salty
Cause: Brand of anchovies or capers used was particularly strong, or capers were not rinsed
Fix: Blend in an extra 30g of mayonnaise and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to balance the salinity
Prevention: Always rinse capers thoroughly to remove curing salt or heavy brine
Cultural Context
Vitello Tonnato is a Piedmontese classic from Northwestern Italy, traditionally prepared with gently poached and chilled veal served under a creamy tuna sauce. Adapting this iconic preparation as 'Tacchino Tonnato' utilizing leftover roasted turkey bridge an Italian culinary heritage with American Thanksgiving traditions, extending the life of holiday leftovers into an elegant, highly flavorful second act.
