Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Cantonese Steamed Chicken
329 kcal a serving, against 684 for the traditional version. That is 355 kcal off, or 52%, with 43.2g of protein. Serves 6. 40 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A fatty whole chicken poached in barely simmering water to keep the meat soft and the skin intact. The meat is chopped on the bone and served with a heavy condiment made by pouring smoking hot oil over minced ginger and spring onions.
What changed, and what each change costs
1200g of skin-on chicken for skinless breast and thigh fillets
Ditching the skin removes a massive wedge of fat before you even start cooking. Using skinless fillets also saves you the hassle of butchering a whole poached bird.
What it costs you. The slippery texture of poached chicken skin is a prized delicacy in Cantonese cooking. You lose that entirely.
150g of hot oil down to 45g, topped up with poaching broth
The traditional ginger sauce is essentially a bowl of liquid fat. Cutting the oil and whisking in some of the savoury cooking liquor keeps the intense ginger flavour without the slick grease.
What it costs you. A looser sauce, then. Not a rich, glossy oil dressing, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. It won't cling to the meat in quite the same luxurious way.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 684 | 329 |
| Protein | 34.1g | 43.2g |
| Fat | 58.4g | 14.4g |
| Saturated fat | 11.9g | 2.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 4.9g | 4.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5g | 13.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, sesame, soybeans.
The method is in the book
The sharp, salty bite of the ginger sauce is exactly what you want from this dish. Yes, the sauce is thinner, and yes, the chicken lacks the rich, fatty skin of the original. But the trade is completely worth it. You get a massive protein hit and that classic Cantonese flavour profile, all without drowning your dinner in a bowl of oil.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback