Schmaltz Rendered Chicken Fat Food

HOW TO RENDER CHICKEN FAT [SCHMALTZ]

Steps:

• Place fat and skin in deep saucepan.
• Add enough water to barely cover the skin and fat.
• Simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add onion when fat is completely melted and skin has turned brownish, but has not burned.
• Continue to stir frequently as onion cooks, approx. 10-15 minutes.
• Add a pinch or two of kosher salt.
• Strain fat through fine mesh sieve.
• Use immediately or keep in fridge in airtight container for no more than a week or freeze for later use.

SCHMALTZ AND GRIBENES

Steps:

• Rinse the pound of chicken skin and fat, pat dry, then chop it into small 1/2 inch pieces.
• Toss the chicken skin pieces with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place the skin and fat into a skillet on the stovetop (make sure it's cast iron or nonstick!) and turn heat to medium low. Cover the skillet and let it cook on medium low for about 15 minutes. Liquid fat will start to pool at the bottom of the skillet.
• Uncover the skillet and raise heat to medium. At this point you can add onion, which will give you an onion-flavored darker colored schmaltz, or you can render the fat without onion for a cleaner, purer fat with no onion essence. Most Jewish cooks prefer to render the fat with onion. Let the skin and fat cook for another 15-20 minutes, breaking the pieces apart with a spatula and stirring frequently, until the skin starts to brown and curl at the edges. At this point there should be quite a bit of liquid fat at the bottom of the pan-this liquid is your schmaltz.
• Remove pan from heat. Pour the schmaltz from the skillet into a container, using a mesh strainer to catch any small pieces of skin. A golden oil will result-this is called schmaltz. It can be used in a variety of Jewish dishes or as a cooking fat.
• If you cooked the onions as the fat rendered, your oil will be a darker golden color with an orange hue. The schmaltz will stay liquid at room temperature; it will become solid and opaque if you refrigerate it.
• If you cooked the skin and onion together, return to medium heat and continue cooking in the skillet until the skin is deeply golden, curled and crispy, and the onions are dark brown. Drain on a paper towel and serve.
• If you did not cook the onions with the skin, you can cook them after the schmaltz is collected. Return the cooked chicken skin and fat to the skillet.
• Turn heat to medium and sauté the mixture for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Don't leave them alone for long or they'll burn! Adjust heat lower as needed to keep from blackening too much.When pieces are dark brown and crispy, remove the gribenes from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. They become crispier as they cool.
• Gribenes can be snacked on as-is or added to other dishes as a topping.
• Rinse the pound of chicken skin and fat, pat dry, then chop it into small 1/2 inch pieces.Cut your onions into slices, then cut slices into pieces around 1/4 inch long.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the chicken skin and fat with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then spread it out into a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Place baking sheet in the oven and let it roast for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to turn golden and curl at the edges. Fat will have started collecting on the sheet.
• Add onions to the hot baking sheet, spreading them out evenly throughout the chicken skin.
• Return to oven and continue roasting for another 40-50 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy and the onions are dark brown. When stirring, make sure to move the pieces on the outside towards the center, and move the center pieces out towards the middle, so the pieces evenly brown.
• When the pieces become crispy, remove from the oven and let the tray cool down. Strain the fat from the tray through a mesh strainer into a collection container.
• The gribenes are delicious to snack on or used as a topping. The schmaltz should be saved and used in a variety of savory dishes. In will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

SCHMALTZ (RENDERED CHICKEN FAT)

Steps:

• 1. Chop the frozen pieces of fat coursely, then put them in a skillet with enough water to barely cover. Place over low heat. The fat will start rendering when the water simmers.
• 2. When the fat appears about half rendered and the water has evaporated, add the onion, continue to cook until the crackling and onion are well browned.
• 3. Pour the fat through a strainer into a jar. It will keep in fridge for months. Save the onions and crackling to flavor dishes, or, since you are so AWESOME, sprinkle with a little salt and eat them before anyone finds out you have them.

RENDERED CHICKEN FAT (SCHMALTZ)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the fat and skin scraps in a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot ( cast iron , copper, and aluminum can give your schmaltz an off taste). Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the scraps render most of their fat and begin to brown.
• Add the onion, if using. Raise the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken scraps are golden brown and crispy, but not burnt. Turn off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• Strain into a heatproof glass or Pyrex container. Canning jars work well for this. A fine-mesh strainer will work in a pinch, but cheesecloth or a paper or cloth coffee filter are best.
• Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

SCHMALTZ (RENDERED CHICKEN FAT)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Partially cover the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. The fat will begin to crackle as it cooks. When you no longer hear the fat crackle, remove the lid, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook until the skin becomes crispy, about 15 to 25 minutes. Lower the heat, if necessary, to keep the skin from browning too quickly. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Strain into a small bowl. If desired, reserve the crispy skin. Refrigerate, covered for up to 1 week.
• Tip: Trim the chicken fat and skin from whole birds before roasting and store it in the freezer until there is enough to render, or ask your butcher for some.

HOW TO MAKE SCHMALTZ - RENDERED CHICKEN FAT

Steps:

• Chop the chicken fat and chicken skin into approximately 1/2" pieces. (See the video for how to remove the skin from chicken thighs.)
• Toss the chopped chicken fat and skin in a bowl with salt and pepper.
• Place a frying pan onto a stovetop set to medium-low heat.
• Add the chopped chicken fat and skin to the frying pan.
• Cover the frying pan with a lid and allow the chicken fat and skin to begin to render.
• After 15 minutes, remove the lid from the frying pan and increase the heat to medium.
• If using, add the sliced onions at this time and stir well with the chopped chicken fat and skin.
• Continue to allow the chicken fat and skin to render for 15-20 minutes while stirring occasionally. Watch the frying pan closely and do not allow the mixture to burn.
• After approximately 15-20 minutes, the chicken fat should be dissolved, and the chicken skin should be a deep golden brown and very crispy.
• If using, the onions should also be a deep golden brown color.
• Turn off the stovetop burner and remove the frying pan to a heatproof surface.
• Using a wire mesh strainer over a heatproof vessel, slowly pour the liquid from the frying pan into the strainer to catch any of the crispy chicken skin bits. (See video.)
• Set the crispy chicken skin bits aside and decant the liquid into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. The rich golden color liquid in the jar is your schmaltz or rendered chicken fat.
• Transfer the crispy chicken skin bits to a paper towel-lined plate and allow the bits to cool. Once cooled, transfer the bits to a container with a lid. The bits of fried chicken skin are known as gribenes. They are quite tasty and can be used in place of croutons to top a salad or other dish where you are looking for a delicious crunch.
• Both the schmaltz and the crispy chicken bits must be stored in the refrigerator. The schmaltz will stay fresh for approximately 6 months. The crispy chicken bits should be consumed within one week.
• Schmaltz can also be stored in the freezer and will stay fresh for up to one year.

SCHMALTZ AND GRIBENES (RENDERED CHICKEN FAT)

Steps:

• Chop the fat into large chunks. Combine everything in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook slowly 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until the water has evaporated, the fat is completely melted, and the onion has turned dark mahogany brown, but not burned.
• Strain the clear fat into a clean jar and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to 3 months, or in freezer up to a year. The gribenes should be used within a few days.

SCHMALTZ (RENDERED CHICKEN FAT) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine chicken fat and skin with just enough water to barely cover. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until fat has mostly rendered, water has cooked off, and chicken skin and fat pieces are small, browned, and starting to crisp, about 50 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Strain rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) through fine mesh strainer and use as directed. Reserve crisped chicken skin, fat, and onion (called gribenes in Yiddish), if desired (they can be eaten as a snack with salt, or stirred into chopped liver).