French · Authentic-ish French
Navarin d'Agneau
409 kcal a serving, against 779 for the traditional version. That is 370 kcal off, or 47%, with 47.9g of protein. Serves 6. 120 minutes, plus overnight chilling.
What the traditional version is
Huge chunks of fatty lamb shoulder are heavily browned in oil and butter. The meat is dusted with plain flour, then simmered in stock and a little tomato puree until it yields. Root vegetables and potatoes go in halfway through, before a final handful of spring peas and green beans are tossed into the thick, aggressively heavy sauce.
What changed, and what each change costs
Fatty lamb shoulder for lean diced lamb
Shoulder is cheap and incredibly fatty. Using lean lamb still gives you that distinct, earthy flavour, but it cuts out a massive amount of grease. I don't use oil or butter for browning either.
What it costs you. Lean meat dries out if you boil it fiercely. You have to keep the stew at a very gentle simmer, and you'll miss out on that luxurious, mouth-coating fat.
Dropping the potatoes for more peas and green beans
Potatoes soak up the sauce, but they add a huge amount of heavy starch. I leave them out entirely and throw in a much larger pile of green beans and peas at the end.
What it costs you. You'll lose the comforting, starchy bulk of a potato. The dish feels much lighter, and that's the whole point, but traditionalists will definitely complain.
Chilling overnight to strip the fat
Even lean lamb drops grease when you braise it. Letting the pot cool completely in the fridge allows the fat to solidify on the surface so you can lift it off with a spoon.
What it costs you. It takes patience. You can't cook and eat this on the same day if you want the clean, sharp sauce I aim for.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 779 | 409 |
| Protein | 40g | 47.9g |
| Fat | 55.1g | 12.5g |
| Saturated fat | 23g | 4.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 29.3g | 24.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.1g | 11.7g |
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.
The method is in the book
What you've got is a bright and sharp celebration of spring vegetables. A thick, starchy winter warmer is a different dish and you know where to find it. The sauce remains glossy and deeply savoury, but without the heavy slick of oil, you can actually taste the sweetness of the carrots and peas. Lean lamb falls apart beautifully if you treat it with respect and keep the simmer barely ticking over. I serve this in big bowls exactly as it is.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback