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Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat) Recipe

Daniel Gritzer
Published: Last Updated:
Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat) Recipe

[Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]

A staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, schmaltz made from rendered chicken fat takes some time, but pays off by adding tons of flavor to dishes like chopped liver and matzo balls. You can buy chicken fat from some butchers, or save up scraps in your freezer until you have enough.

Read more: Myth Testing: The Secrets of the Best Matzo Balls

  • Yield:Makes about 1 cup
  • Active time: 1 hour
  • Total time:1 hour

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound chicken fat and skin, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped

Directions

  1. 1.

    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.

  2. 2.

    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).

This Recipe Appears In
Myth Testing: The Secrets of the Best Matzo Balls

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Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director

Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.

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