French · Authentic-ish French
Brandade de Morue
423 kcal a serving, against 685 for the traditional version. That is 262 kcal off, or 38%, with 68.1g of protein. Serves 6. 40 minutes, plus 24 hours soaking.
What the traditional version is
Thick slabs of salt cod are soaked, poached in whole milk, and transferred to a massive mortar. A cook stands there for 20 minutes, pounding the fish while someone else slowly pours in a heavy stream of olive oil. Boiled potatoes are beaten into the mix to help hold the emulsion. The result is a heavy, glossy paste.
What changed, and what each change costs
250g of olive oil down to 30g
Olive oil is the main structural component of the traditional dish, acting like the oil in a mayonnaise. I cut 90% of it out. I replace the lost volume with a mix of extra fish and fat-free Greek yoghurt to mimic the creamy mouthfeel.
What it costs you. So: a thicker, slightly rougher fish dip. A glossy, unctuous emulsion anymore was never on the table once the fat came out. You lose that heavy, lip-smacking richness that only half a bottle of oil can bring.
Whole milk for semi-skimmed milk
You still need liquid to gently poach the fish and loosen the final whip. The extra fat in whole milk is entirely unnecessary when you're already blending up root vegetables and cod.
What it costs you. Absolutely nothing. You won't notice the difference in the milk once the raw garlic hits your tongue.
500g of salt cod up to 600g
Taking out the oil leaves the dish looking incredibly sparse in the bowl. Bumping up the amount of fish fills the gap and makes the brandade far more substantial and filling.
What it costs you. Salt cod is an expensive ingredient. Soaking it properly is the first and only difficult job here, and it demands patience.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 685 | 423 |
| Protein | 54.9g | 68.1g |
| Fat | 44.8g | 8.3g |
| Saturated fat | 6.8g | 1.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.1g | 15.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 8g | 16.1g |
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. fish, milk.
The method is in the book
This is a fantastic thing to drag a piece of charred sourdough through. The raw garlic and fish flavours are incredibly punchy and completely unapologetic. Because it isn't swimming in a puddle of olive oil, you can eat a massive portion of it without feeling sick. It definitely lacks the silky, fatty texture of the original French version. Instead, you get a rustic, deeply savoury mash that works brilliantly as a starter for a dinner party. Serve it with a massive pile of crisp raw vegetables if you want to skip the bread entirely.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback