Schmaltz with Griebenes
Submitted by Bill1000
Schmaltz and griebenes rendered slow and low from chicken skin and fat with a splash of water. The Jewish kitchen’s two essential golden staples from one pot.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsClassic Jewish kitchen alchemy that gives you two essentials in one pot. Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat, butter-yellow and pourable, the base for everything from matzo balls to chopped liver. Griebenes are the crispy skin cracklings left behind, salty golden treasures eaten straight or scattered over potatoes and kasha.
The technique is all about patience. Trimmed chicken skin and fat get diced and simmered with just three quarters of a cup of water over the lowest possible heat. The water keeps the fat from scorching while the skin slowly gives up everything it has.
Pour off the rendered fat every time a pool collects, so it stays pure yellow instead of turning brown. Brown schmaltz has burned flavor that ruins whatever dish it goes into. Pure yellow schmaltz is liquid gold.
Store the fat in a jar in the fridge where it’ll keep for a month. The griebenes should be eaten within a day, preferably sprinkled with salt while still warm.
Chef Tips
- Save chicken skin and fat in the freezer over time. A single chicken doesn’t yield much, but a gallon bag of accumulated trimmings renders into a proper batch.
- Keep the heat so low the fat barely bubbles. If it smokes or hisses, you’re too hot and the fat will go brown.
- Strain the final schmaltz through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to catch any tiny bits that would shorten its shelf life.
- Toss griebenes with coarse sea salt the moment they come off the heat. Cold cracklings won’t absorb the salt properly.
Variations
- Add a small diced onion to the last 30 minutes of rendering for traditional schmaltz mit tzibele (schmaltz with onion).
- Use duck skin and fat instead of chicken for a richer, more game-like version.
- Add a smashed garlic clove or two to the pot in the final hour for garlic-infused schmaltz.
Ingredients
Directions
In trimming the fat and skin from the poultry, try not to include bits of meat.
Place the cut up skin and diced fat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add the water and simmer very, very slowly over low heat.
When all the water has evaporated and pure yellow fat begins to collect, pour it off and reserve.
The fat is completely rendered when the skin forms crisp, brown cracklings.
Drain the cracklings on paper towels.
Although it is not strictly necessary to pour off the fat as it collects, it is safest to do so; then it will not become brown by the time the cracklings are finished.
The fat should be bright butter yellow without any hint of brown.
Store the fat tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Cracklings should be used as soon as possible or they become soggy.
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