German · Authentic-ish German
Rehragout
417 kcal a serving, against 541 for the traditional version. That is 124 kcal off, or 23%, with 51.2g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours.
What the traditional version is
A classic Bavarian venison stew, using tough cuts simmered in red wine with juniper, bacon, onions and mushrooms. Finished with cream or crème fraîche and often thickened with a spoonful of flour. Normally served with buttered noodles or dumplings and another glass of red wine just for luck.
What changed, and what each change costs
120g bacon and 50g butter removed, replaced with 25g olive oil
Venison is already lean and strong-tasting. The bacon's smokiness is nice, but not essential. Olive oil gives you a bit of richness with less saturated fat, and there's no point using butter if you aren't slathering it on potatoes.
What it costs you. Lose the smoky background and a bit of mouthfeel. No-one ever remembered a stew for the bacon, but you'll notice the difference if you grew up with it. The sauce feels a little lighter - make your peace with it.
Cream-double (120g) out, fat-free Greek yoghurt (100g) in
Cream is the third pillar of classic Rehragout sauce. It smooths everything out and adds a fat gloss that's hard to fake. Greek yoghurt brings tang and protein with none of the fat. It doesn't blend as effortlessly, but if you temper it and stir it in off the heat, you won't get curdling.
What it costs you. The finish is fresher, sharper and, to be honest, not as velvety. Anyone telling you they can't spot the swap is lying. You could use half-fat crème fraîche for more silk, but then you lose the gains in protein and fat.
Plain flour (25g) out, reduce the sauce by simmering uncovered
You don't need flour if you let the wine and stock boil down naturally. It takes a bit longer but the result is a powerful sauce without the starch.
What it costs you. Takes patience. The sauce is thinner, but the flavour is more concentrated. You will need bread to mop it up, but I'm not adding that to the recipe.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 541 | 417 |
| Protein | 54.4g | 51.2g |
| Fat | 20.6g | 9.5g |
| Saturated fat | 11.3g | 2.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.7g | 11.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 10.1g | 12.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish German prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk, sulphites.
The method is in the book
The venison is the star here. By taking out the bacon and cream, I've made the sauce much lighter. You get more of the wine, juniper and mushrooms. Is it as rich and lush as the classic? No. But the meat is lean, the sauce doesn't feel greasy, and the yoghurt brings a brightness at the end that, frankly, suits most modern palates better than a heavy slick of cream. You'll miss the old velvet, but you won't go away hungry.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish German, along with 54 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.