Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Arni Fricassee
355 kcal a serving, against 788 for the traditional version. That is 433 kcal off, or 55%, with 43.1g of protein. Serves 6. 90 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Chunks of fatty lamb shoulder fried hard in olive oil. Loads of spring onions and wilted lettuce, finished with a thick, rich avgolemono sauce made from pure egg yolks and fresh lemon juice.
What changed, and what each change costs
Lamb shoulder down to lean lamb leg
Shoulder dumps liquid fat into the broth, which ruins the texture of the final sauce. Leg is mostly pure muscle, giving you great meaty flavour without the oil slick.
What it costs you. Lean leg can dry out if you boil it too aggressively. You also lose that gelatinous richness that shoulder fat brings to a stew.
80g of olive oil down to 15g
You absolutely don't need a deep puddle of oil to soften spring onions and brown the lamb. A tiny splash does the job if you manage the heat.
What it costs you. You lose that luscious mouthfeel that coats your lips when you eat a traditional Greek stew. The broth feels much thinner.
Pure egg yolks down to whole eggs in the sauce
Yolks bring dense fat, but whole eggs give you more volume and an excellent structural base. It lets you bind the broth together brilliantly.
What it costs you. So: slightly lighter and frothier. A velvety custard was never on the table once the fat came out. The colour is also paler than the neon yellow you get from pure yolks.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 788 | 355 |
| Protein | 41.5g | 43.1g |
| Fat | 62.7g | 13.9g |
| Saturated fat | 22.5g | 4.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.4g | 13.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.3g | 12.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs.
The method is in the book
It tastes exactly like spring in a bowl. The sharp lemon cuts right through the earthy lamb and sweet braised lettuce. You miss the heavy richness of the shoulder fat, but you gain a stew you can eat a massive bowl of and still feel awake. The whole eggs bind the broth beautifully, leaving you with a bright, comforting dinner.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback