Ashkenazi Heritage Schmaltz and Gribenes
שמאַלץ און גריבענעס·(shmalts un gribenes)
MEAL PREP
Per serving: NET CARBS: 1 g Total carbs: 1 g | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar alcohols: 0 g Fat: 21 g | Protein: 3 g Calories: ~205
Naturally Keto / Ashkenazi Heritage. Authentic schmaltz does not require an entire afternoon. For generations, Eastern European Jewish cooks took every scrap of chicken skin they could find and melted it down into yellow poultry fat. We use a dead-simple water-start technique here to bypass the tedious babysitting. You drop the scraps into a cast-iron skillet, turn the burner to medium, and let the stove extract the liquid. By the time the fat pools and the edges start to crackle, you get two distinct culinary treasures. The first is a deeply savory fat that makes everything it touches taste better. The second is gribenes—the impossibly crispy, salty, caramelized bits of skin and onion left behind in the pan. Colloquially known as Jewish bacon, it's a zero-carb powerhouse that will disappear from the cutting board before it ever makes it to a salad. Ten minutes of active prep leaves you free to strain the liquid into a mason jar, salt the gribenes for an immediate snack, and keep the fat on hand to fry tomorrow’s eggs.
Before you start
Chop the chicken fat and skin.
Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the raw chicken skin and fat into uniform 1/2-inch pieces. Doing this while the fat is slightly semi-frozen makes it significantly easier to chop.
Chop the onion.
Finely chop half of a medium yellow onion, setting it aside until the rendering process is almost complete.
Ingredients
- raw chicken skin and fat trimmings1 lb
- water1/4 cup
- yellow onion1/2 med
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Simmer the fat and skin in water to render passively.
Place the chopped skin, fat, and water into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet over medium heat until the water begins to bubble, then immediately turn the heat down to low. Walk away and let it simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring only once or twice. The water will slowly evaporate, allowing the liquid fat to render out cleanly without burning the skin.
- 02
Add the onion to caramelize and crisp the gribenes.
Once the water has completely boiled off, the liquid in the pan will consist entirely of clear, bubbling chicken fat and the skin will begin to brown. Stir in the chopped onion and cook over medium-low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply caramelized and the chicken skin pieces are curled, deeply golden brown, and crispy.
- 03
Strain the liquid schmaltz for storage.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the contents through a fine-mesh strainer into a heat-proof glass jar. The clear, golden liquid in the jar is your schmaltz; stir in a pinch of salt, let it cool, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
- 04
Salt the crispy gribenes immediately.
Transfer the crispy skin and onion bits left in the strainer to a paper towel-lined plate. Toss immediately with the kosher salt while they are still hot, and eat immediately as a snack or store in the fridge to use as a crunchy topping.
Notes
Source fat and skin directly from the butcher counter.
You do not need to buy a dozen whole chickens to make this. Ask the butcher at your local meat counter for a pound of chicken fat and skin trimmings—they often throw this away and will sell it to you for just a few dollars. Alternatively, keep a zip-top bag in your freezer and save the raw skin and fat every time you trim chicken thighs.
Rely on the water trick to prevent scorching.
Adding water to hot oil is a recipe for disaster, but adding water to cold, raw fat at the very beginning is a foundational technique. The water limits the pan's temperature to 212°F, gently coaxing the fat out of the cells before browning can begin, saving you from bitter, ruined fat.
Use schmaltz exactly as you would butter or olive oil.
Schmaltz has a smoke point of about 375°F, making it a highly stable cooking fat. Sear a steak in it, toss your broccoli in it before roasting, or fry your morning eggs in it to experience an incredible depth of savory poultry flavor.
From Keto 10 Minute Meals.