Homemade Schmaltz
Rendering chicken fat slowly with onion yields a rich, golden cooking fat.
Dietary
Keto, Wheat free, Dairy free, Nut free, Halal, Kosher, Kosher for passover, Ashkenazi kosher for passover
Schmaltz is rendered poultry fat, a cornerstone of traditional Jewish cooking used for frying latkes, enriching matzo balls, or sautéing onions. Cooking it low and slow with onion and skin produces a deeply flavorful, golden liquid fat along with crispy gribenes as a bonus. Store it in the refrigerator and use it anywhere you'd reach for butter or oil in savory dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw chicken fat and skin, trimmed and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
-
Cut chicken fat and skin into small, roughly 1/2-inch pieces, discarding any bits of meat or cartilage.
-
Place the fat pieces and water in a 9-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
-
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the fat begins to render and turn translucent, about 15 minutes.
-
Add the sliced onion and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the skin pieces turn golden brown and crisp and the onion is deeply browned, 60 to 75 minutes.
-
Strain the liquid fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof jar, pressing the solids lightly to extract as much fat as possible. Reserve the crisp skin bits (gribenes) separately if desired.
-
Stir the salt into the strained fat and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
-
Cover and refrigerate the schmaltz; it will solidify into a spreadable, golden fat. Use within 1 month, or freeze for longer storage.
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Homemade Schmaltz
Schmaltz is rendered poultry fat, a cornerstone of traditional Jewish cooking used for frying latkes, enriching matzo balls, or sautéing onions. Cooking it low and slow with onion and skin produces a deeply flavorful, golden liquid fat along with crispy gribenes as a bonus. Store it in the refrigerator and use it anywhere you'd reach for butter or oil in savory dishes.
1 hr 50 min 16 oz 115 cal
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw chicken fat and skin, trimmed and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
- 1
Cut chicken fat and skin into small, roughly 1/2-inch pieces, discarding any bits of meat or cartilage.
- 2
Place the fat pieces and water in a 9-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
- 3
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the fat begins to render and turn translucent, about 15 minutes.
- 4
Add the sliced onion and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the skin pieces turn golden brown and crisp and the onion is deeply browned, 60 to 75 minutes.
- 5
Strain the liquid fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof jar, pressing the solids lightly to extract as much fat as possible. Reserve the crisp skin bits (gribenes) separately if desired.
- 6
Stir the salt into the strained fat and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- 7
Cover and refrigerate the schmaltz; it will solidify into a spreadable, golden fat. Use within 1 month, or freeze for longer storage.