French · Authentic-ish French
Cassoulet
591 kcal a serving, against 1012 for the traditional version. That is 421 kcal off, or 42%, with 50.6g of protein. Serves 8. 4 hours, plus overnight soaking.
What the traditional version is
A base of dried haricot beans slow-cooked with a whole confit duck, fatty pork shoulder and thick pork sausages. The meats melt into the beans over several hours in the oven, creating a completely solid, fiercely rich stew. It's topped with breadcrumbs and baked until a hard, dark crust forms on top.
What changed, and what each change costs
Skin-on duck and pork shoulder for lean duck breast and pork loin
Confit duck is preserved in its own rendered fat. Pork shoulder is heavily marbled. I use skinless duck breast and lean pork loin. You get the same dark, gamey flavours without drinking a pint of grease.
What it costs you. You lose the melting, shreddable texture of slow-cooked fatty meat. The lean meats are firmer and you can't cook them for hours without drying them out completely.
400g of heavy sausage down to 200g of reduced-fat sausage
Sausages are traditionally the main seasoning agent, bleeding fat and salt into the beans. I halve the amount and use a lean pork sausage. It provides the necessary garlic and herb background.
What it costs you. You'll miss out on that slick, glossy coating of spiced sausage fat. You have to rely entirely on the stock and wine for flavour.
400g of dried beans up to 600g
Beans are brilliant. By increasing the haricot beans, I replace the missing meat volume with something that actually fills you up and absorbs all the cooking liquid perfectly.
What it costs you. It makes it more of a bean stew and less of a meat feast. That's a definite shift in balance, but it works.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1012 | 591 |
| Protein | 44.9g | 50.6g |
| Fat | 65.9g | 10.9g |
| Saturated fat | 22.3g | 3.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 54.1g | 67.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.4g | 8.6g |
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. gluten, celery, sulphites.
The method is in the book
What you've got is an intensely savoury bowl of garlic, wine and beans. A heavy, fat-soaked winter survival ration is a different dish and you know where to find it. The crust is still brilliant and the sheer volume of beans makes it incredibly filling. There's barely any fat left to coat the roof of your mouth. You definitely notice the lack of melted duck fat, and the meat is much firmer than the traditional shredded confit. I think it's a fair trade. You can actually eat a massive bowl of this and still stay awake for the rest of the afternoon.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback