Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Red-Braised Chicken
313 kcal a serving, against 576 for the traditional version. That is 263 kcal off, or 46%, with 41.2g of protein. Serves 6. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Chunks of skin-on chicken, often left on the bone, fried in oil until deeply golden. They are then slowly braised in a heavy mixture of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and a large mound of melted rock sugar until the liquid reduces down to a thick, fatty syrup.
What changed, and what each change costs
1200g of skin-on chicken thighs for skinless thighs
Chicken skin renders a massive amount of fat straight into the braising liquid as it cooks. Pulling it off leaves the lean muscle, keeping the protein high while stripping out the heavy grease.
What it costs you. You miss out on the gelatinous, melt-in-the-mouth texture that braised skin provides. The sauce is noticeably thinner without that rendered fat.
60g of sugar down to 30g
Cutting the sugar by 50% removes empty calories while still providing just enough sweetness to balance the salty soy sauce and harsh alcohol.
What it costs you. What you've got is a looser broth. A sticky glaze anymore is a different dish and you know where to find it. You won't get that classic glossy sheen on the meat, and it won't coat the back of a spoon.
Frying the chicken in 30g of oil for a dry sear in a hot pan
Skinless thighs don't need extra oil to brown if you use a blazing hot non-stick frying pan. It saves unnecessary fat before the braise even begins.
What it costs you. The chicken won't develop the deep, fried crust that helps the sauce cling tightly to the meat.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 576 | 313 |
| Protein | 34.9g | 41.2g |
| Fat | 38.5g | 8.5g |
| Saturated fat | 9.6g | 2.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.4g | 8.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.1g | 13.2g |
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, soybeans, sulphites.
The method is in the book
This braise proves you don't need a heavy layer of fat to carry big flavour. The soy sauce and star anise penetrate right into the skinless meat, giving you an incredibly savoury, fragrant dish. You trade the thick, syrupy takeaway texture for a broth that you can actually drink without feeling sick. I think that's a fair deal for a massive plate of protein.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback