What's wrong with Fried Chicken?

Brak

New Member
Not KFC...I'm talking about eating it at home...everyone talks about how olive oil is a good source of the healthy fats. I also heard canola is good. Checked the ingredients...the canola has more Omega 3 & 6 and less omega 9, but they both have very little saturated fat. So why not make fried food with it? A little skim milk, some flour, some lean meat (no skin), some olive or canola oil, all good ingredients. I know I am supposed to eat clean, and fried food is infamous for being fattening, but I am trying to figure out why that would be. If I were to use the kind of oil that some BBers are drinking by the tablespoon full wouldn't fried chicken be a perfectly crispy, delicious and healthy addition to a BBers diet?

Am I missing something here?

Brak
 
The chicken will likely absorb a LOT of fat. Canola oil and flour are not at the top of my list of "clean" foods.

The temperatures used in frying (generally >400F) will convert some of the fatty acids to trans fats. I believe canola oil is fairly unstable and there will be a lot of hydrogenation/oxidation. I believe olive oil is more stable, but you will still have some trans fats when frying.

Finally, I think the breading may not be all you hoped for if it is only skim milk and flour.

Try baking the chicken instead. My wife does this:
Thoroughly toast whole wheat bread and then crush it up and mix it with some oat bran and wheat germ.
Make a wash with egg whites (or one egg) and water.
Drench the chicken in the wash then roll it in the breading.
Lightly spray a dark non-stick cookie sheet w/ aerosolized Olive Oil (PAM I think).
Bake at 350, 20 minutes per side.

It is close to fried chicken (if not better) and avoids the issues with deep frying. Your kitchen will not be covered in grease residue, as it would with frying, as an added benefit.
 
At the same time, if your calories are in check, eating fried chicken will be just fine. Avoid the heavy breading and pat the chicken with a paper towel as you bring it off the pan to remove any excess oil.
 
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