French · Authentic-ish French
Blanquette de Veau
672 kcal a serving, against 902 for the traditional version. That is 230 kcal off, or 25%, with 53.5g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Veal simmered slowly without colouring. The cooking liquor is turned into a thick sauce using a butter and flour roux, then finished with a heavy liaison of double cream and egg yolks for a velvety texture.
What changed, and what each change costs
100g of butter and 50g of plain flour down to 15g of butter and 20g of cornflour
The traditional roux adds massive amounts of fat and starch. Boiling the liquor down and using a little cornflour gives you a thick base for a fraction of the cost.
What it costs you. Cornflour leaves a slightly glassy finish compared to the matte velvet of a butter roux, but the dairy at the end hides the worst of it.
200g of double cream and 60g of egg yolk down to 100g of half-fat creme fraiche and 15g of egg yolk
This cuts the fat drastically. The creme fraiche brings a sharp lactic tang that cuts through the rich meat, and 1 yolk is enough to provide colour and bind the sauce.
What it costs you. You'll lose that heavy, mouth-coating weight that only double cream provides. The sauce is thinner, though it still coats the meat well enough.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 902 | 672 |
| Protein | 56.2g | 53.5g |
| Fat | 63.2g | 40.1g |
| Saturated fat | 30.4g | 16.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 21.1g | 17.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.2g | 8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish French prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery, eggs, milk, sulphites.
The method is in the book
A heavy compromise, but a successful one. You're giving up the dense, fatty richness of the original cream sauce, but you keep the tender meat, the pale colour and the delicate flavour.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback