cooking essentials: chicken fat (schmaltz)

How To Make cooking essentials: chicken fat (schmaltz)

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  Step 1
  PREP/PREPARE
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  Step 2
  Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
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  Step 3
  Roughly chop the chicken skin, and add to a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat.
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  Step 4
  Let it slowly cook, until most of the fat has rendered, and the skin is beginning to brown, about 2 hours.
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  Step 5
  Raise the heat to medium, and add the onion, if using.
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  Step 6
  Cook until the onions have softened, and the chicken skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
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  Step 7
  Remove from the heat, and allow to cool, for 10 minutes.
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  Step 8
  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, and discard the solids.
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  Step 9
  Store in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for 6 months, or the freezer for 1 year.
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  Step 10
  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Step 11
  Use on things like fried potatoes, and other root vegetables, as a substitute for oil in popcorn... Anyplace you need oil is a candidate for using chicken fat. Enjoy.
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  Step 12
  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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