Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Vitello Tonnato
611 kcal a serving, against 987 for the traditional version. That is 376 kcal off, or 38%, with 61.2g of protein. Serves 6. 4 hours, plus overnight chilling.
What the traditional version is
A joint of veal braised with wine and vegetables, cooled overnight and sliced thin. Served under a thick mayonnaise blended with tinned tuna, salty anchovies, sharp capers and lemon juice.
What changed, and what each change costs
250g of olive oil and 3 egg yolks out, 250g of fat-free Greek yoghurt in
Mayonnaise is pure fat. By using yoghurt, you keep the thick, spoonable texture required to coat the cold meat, while ditching the massive oil slick. The sharp tang of the yoghurt pairs surprisingly well with the aggressive flavours of the fish and capers.
What it costs you. You lose the rich, glossy mouthfeel. Yoghurt is chalkier and sharper than a smooth oil emulsion. It's a very different finish on the tongue, even if the primary flavours remain identical.
A neat cut of veal topside for 1500g of veal shin on the bone
Shin is an untidy cut, but it brings massive flavour and natural gelatine to the braising pot. The meat itself is exceptionally lean once you trim the outside fat.
What it costs you. You won't get the perfect, uniform circular slices of meat you expect in a high-end restaurant. You've got to braise it until tender, cool it on the bone, and carve it into rougher shards.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 987 | 611 |
| Protein | 58.6g | 61.2g |
| Fat | 77.9g | 33.7g |
| Saturated fat | 19.7g | 13g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.3g | 6.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.9g | 10g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery, fish, milk, sulphites.
The method is in the book
This works brilliantly. The yoghurt holds the bold, salty punch of the anchovies and capers just as well as the oil does. This is a sharper, rougher dish. Nobody is going to mistake it for a perfect replica of the original. But given the massive drop in fat, it's a trade I'll make every single time.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.