CHURCH’S CHICKEN: SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN LEGS

SAVE: 28 CALORIES, 11 G FAT

When I set out to write this book, I had no idea that I’d find so much variety among restaurants in the same chains—and so many dishes that didn’t quite seem to match their nutritional data. I was also shocked to see how many seemingly basic dishes just disappeared from the menus. Thank goodness these chicken legs seem likely to stay around for a long time—one bite of their crunchy perfection and I was hooked. And though this version is not remarkably lighter in calories, I was able to trim almost two-thirds of the fat from this soul-satisfying combination. Now that’s worth singing about.

½ tablespoon unbleached or all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of garlic powder

2 chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Olive oil spray

1 egg white

½ tablespoon fat-free milk

¼ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

IN a medium resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Shake to mix well. Add the chicken. Shake to completely coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Place in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly mist a nonstick baking sheet with oil spray.

In a small shallow bowl, combine the egg white and the milk. Beat with a fork until smooth. Place the panko on a small sheet of waxed paper set next to the egg-white mixture.

One at a time, dip the chicken drumsticks into the egg-white mixture, being sure to coat completely. Allow any excess egg-white mixture to drip off. Dip into the panko to coat completely. Dip a second time into the egg-white mixture and the panko. Place the chicken drumsticks, not touching, on the reserved baking sheet. Lightly mist with oil spray.

Bake for about 20 minutes, carefully rotating the drumsticks a quarter turn every 5 minutes for even browning, or until the breading is crisp and the drumsticks are no longer pink inside. Lightly mist with oil spray before serving.

MAKES 1 SERVING (2 DRUMSTICKS)

252 calories, 29 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, trace fiber

Original Church’s Chicken Southern Fried Chicken Legs (2 drumsticks): 280 calories, 26 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, sat. fat (not available), 0 g fiber

DRIVE-THRU The drumsticks can be breaded up to a day in advance. Store them in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator.