Soul Food · Authentic-ish Soul Food
Southern Fried Chicken
479 kcal a serving, against 1146 for the traditional version. That is 667 kcal off, or 58%, with 69.6g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour 30 minutes (plus marinating overnight).
What the traditional version is
Traditionally, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces are soaked in buttermilk, dredged in seasoned plain flour, and deep-fried in a bath of oil (usually peanut or vegetable) until golden and crisp. Served hot, often with hot sauce or gravy on the side.
What changed, and what each change costs
Skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces for boneless, skinless chicken breast
The skin and bones bring flavour and help with juiciness, but they also bring fat, and the bones don't contribute to your protein per forkful.
What it costs you. Juiciness takes a hit. Chicken breast isn't as forgiving, so you've got to watch it like a hawk. The real loss is the satisfaction of picking up a drumstick and going full caveman.
Buttermilk for fat-free Greek yoghurt
Buttermilk is lowish in fat, but you can do even more with thick, fat-free Greek yoghurt. It clings better, tenderises faster, and bumps the protein up.
What it costs you. The tang is slightly different, and you'll lose a note of richness, but not much else.
Deep-frying in 200g absorbed veg oil for oven-baking on a rack with olive oil spray
Frying means the chicken soaks up a surprising amount of oil - about 200g of pure fat for the batch. Swapping for a rack and a mist of oil cuts most of that. I up the seasoning and add a little smoked paprika to compensate for the missing Maillard party.
What it costs you. This is the one: oven-fried chicken doesn't get you that thick, brittle crust. If you want it, make the real thing or don't bother.
Plain flour for a 50-50 mix of plain flour and whey protein powder
Flour is pure starch, so I split half of it with a neutral protein powder. It's not southern, but it bulks up the protein with surprisingly little effect on texture.
What it costs you. If your protein powder tastes weird, you'll notice. Pick an unflavoured one advertised for baking and don't get creative here.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1146 | 479 |
| Protein | 50.9g | 69.6g |
| Fat | 82.4g | 9.7g |
| Saturated fat | 18.5g | 1.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 47.2g | 25.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.4g | 14.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Soul Food prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
This is about half the calories and double the protein per bite, but it isn't a classic southern crust. The first bite is still genuinely good - spiced, juicy from the yoghurt, and pleasant enough for a weeknight. Is it the real deal? It isn't, it's the best you can do with an oven and a conscience. If you want that savage, craggy crust, make the original and don't apologise. If you want Tuesday dinner and a passing memory of fried chicken, this will do nicely.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Soul Food, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.