French · Authentic-ish French
Tartiflette
359 kcal a serving, against 563 for the traditional version. That is 204 kcal off, or 36%, with 19.9g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour.
What the traditional version is
A heavy baking dish layered with waxy potatoes, fried onions and thick pork lardons. Everything is drenched in full-fat creme fraiche and a massive splash of white wine. The defining feature is a whole 450g Reblochon cheese, a washed-rind alpine special. The cheese is sliced in half and laid across the potatoes to melt down in the oven until it forms a thick golden crust. It's incredibly rich.
What changed, and what each change costs
450g of cheese down to 200g of Brie
Reblochon is a beautiful, stinky mountain cheese, but 450g of it is completely overwhelming if you aren't doing manual labour in the snow. I use a standard 200g wheel of Brie instead, sliced thin to cover the entire top of the dish.
What it costs you. You get a much thinner crust. The cheese acts as a topping rather than a thick blanket of liquid fat that pools at the bottom of the dish.
250g of lardons swapped for 50g of lardons and 200g of lean ham
Lardons are pure fat. You need a few for that essential smoky pork flavour to soak into the potatoes, but lean ham brings the meatiness without the massive oil slick.
What it costs you. Lean ham lacks the crunch of fried belly pork. The dish feels slightly softer when you bite into it.
150g of full-fat creme fraiche down to 100g of half-fat creme fraiche
The original uses heavy dairy to bind the potatoes together. Half-fat creme fraiche does exactly the same job, providing a tangy sauce that cuts through the starch perfectly.
What it costs you. It splits slightly easier if you boil it hard, so you have to mix it in gently off the heat.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 563 | 359 |
| Protein | 27.9g | 19.9g |
| Fat | 33.8g | 14.3g |
| Saturated fat | 20.9g | 8.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 35g | 35.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5g | 5.5g |
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. milk, sulphites.
The method is in the book
So: a practical weekday dinner. A mountain tavern classic was never on the table once the fat came out. The potatoes are soft and tangy from the wine and creme fraiche, and the Brie melts into a brilliant golden lid. Yes, you sacrifice that legendary inch of liquid cheese, but in return, you get a sharp, comforting potato bake that leaves you able to walk afterwards. I think it's a fair trade. Serve it with a sharp green salad to cut through the richness.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback