Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat and gribenes are little pieces of crunchy chicken skin – essentially chicken crackling – that result as a byproduct.
Schmaltz is amazing in chopped liver or matzo balls but you can also use it instead of oil or butter as a cooking fat with a deep, delicious flavour. (Think duck fat fries.)
I associate gribenes with burned fingertips because when I was a kid, I ate them right from the pan as a treat, but today I try to keep them long enough to toss into a smoked trout salad, sprinkle onto a soup or add to a pasta dish for extra crunch. I've adapted this recipe from The Mile End Cookbook by Noah and Rae Bernamoff.
Servings: Makes about 2 cups gribenes and 1 cup schmaltz.
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken skin with its fat
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Method
Spread the chicken skin and fat out on a baking sheet in an even layer. Place the tray in the freezer until the skin is partially frozen, about 1 hour. (This will make it easier to cut.) Transfer chicken skin to a cutting board and cut into 3-inch long strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the chicken skin in a roasting pan and toss with 2 teaspoons salt.
Bake 20 minutes, give skin pieces a stir and continue to bake, stirring every 10 minutes or so until skin pieces are crisp and nicely browned. (Watch carefully to avoid burning – chicken skin can go from browned to burnt very quickly.) Allow pan to cool 15 minutes.
Carefully pour contents of roasting pan through a metal strainer into a heatproof vessel. Allow to drain fully, then transfer gribenes in strainer to a tray or plate lined with several layers of paper towel. Cool schmaltz in pan and reserved gribenes to room temperature.
Season gribenes with more salt if desired and enjoy promptly or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Transfer schmaltz to a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to two weeks.