cracklings

Schmaltz and Grebenes

The Rendering of Chicken or Goose Fat to Create Delicious Cracklings.

A real old fashioned traditional recipe from Jewish Cookery by Leah W. Leonard

  • Cut fatty fowl skin and other fat clusters into 1-inch cubes or strips
  • Cover with cold water
  • Cook in a heavy kettle or frying pan, covered for 20 to 25 minutes
  • Uncover and continue cooking over reduced heat until the water has evaporated and only the melted or cooked fat and cracklings remain
  • Add diced onions, allowing one onion to each cupful of unrendered fat
  • Add a clove of garlic for flavor

Method
When rendering a large quantity of fat, the addition of a few slices of raw potato will help clarify it.