Spanish · Authentic-ish Spanish
Pollo al Chilindron
394 kcal a serving, against 661 for the traditional version. That is 267 kcal off, or 40%, with 51.5g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour 10 minutes.
What the traditional version is
The classic: chicken pieces, on the bone and skin-on, browned in a good splash of olive oil. Peppers (always red, sometimes green), onions, garlic and serrano ham join the pan, followed by ripe tomatoes or tinned ones if you're late to the market. A lid goes on, and the whole lot simmers until the chicken threatens to collapse under a fork. In a word, rustic. In two, absolutely delicious.
What changed, and what each change costs
Chicken thighs, skin-on, swapped for skinless thighs
It's the skin and fat under it that soak up most of the oil and add a hefty chunk of calories. Skinless thighs aren't quite as juicy, but they're easier on the pan and the waistline.
What it costs you. You lose that deep, savoury stickiness where the chicken skin crisps against the pan. The sauce still brings bags of flavour, but don't expect any crackling bits hiding under the sauce.
Olive oil down from 30g to 8g, just enough to start the onions and peppers
Most Spanish recipes fry the chicken and veg in what looks like a small lake. Strip it right down with a non-stick pan and you only need the tiniest glug to get everything going.
What it costs you. You won't get a deep, coppery crust on the chicken. The onions and peppers also soften rather than fry, but once everything's together in the pot, it's honestly not a disaster.
Serrano ham held at 80g, but torn up and added right at the end
No point cutting the ham; it's not the main villain here and it brings on the smoky background. Keeping it in means the dish isn't just a big bowl of vegetables with chicken lurking about.
What it costs you. Adding it at the end means you lose some of the smoky oil that usually melts out into the sauce, but you keep the punch of proper ham in every bite. Priorities.
Upped the red peppers from 250g to 350g to fill out the sauce (and make up for the missing skin and oil)
With less fat in the pan, you need more sweetness and bulk from the veg. It also makes the sauce thicker and brighter.
What it costs you. The sauce is even more peppery and a bit chunkier. No one needs to complain about eating their five-a-day after a pile of this.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 661 | 394 |
| Protein | 44.2g | 51.5g |
| Fat | 46.4g | 12.9g |
| Saturated fat | 11.7g | 3.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.2g | 17.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.7g | 13.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Spanish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
The method is in the book
You don't get the gluttonous, sticky finish that a whole skin-on bird and double the oil bring. If you want that, you know what to do. What you gain is a remarkably satisfying, bright stew that doesn't guilt-trip you and still tastes unmistakeably Spanish. The sauce does a lot of the heavy lifting. It isn't Sunday lunch in a farmhouse, it's Tuesday night when your fridge is looking a bit too healthy - and you won't regret it for a second.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Spanish, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.