Chickens, like the rest of us, carry much of their fat in their thighs, and removing the skin can only help to a point. If we compare the figures for 4 ounces of roast chicken, you’ll see that discarding the skin reduces fat content by less than 1/3 (30%). (Because breast meat contains less intrinsic fat, removing the skin reduces its fat content by 55%!) So, when it comes to thighs, there’s more work to be done.

I don’t have a calorimeter, but it is my strong belief, based on the amount of fat I can wrest from a thigh, that I can bring it in line with a breast any day. One thing to remember: After such trimming, it will take less time to cook, so you have to make some adjustments. Nevertheless, it will have more flavor than breast meat and will hold up better when braised.