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Chicken fat question..


little ms foodie

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The other day i made a batch of chicken stock and had let it set up overnight in the fridge so I could remove the fat easily- when I was taking the thick fat 'cap' off I wondered if this is what 'scmaltz' (sp) is?? should I be saving this and cooking with it or just trash it like I normally do?

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I've never heard of anybody saving chicken fat for later use. But I've known of people saving bacon fat for later use.

Not only do people save chicken fat but duck fat and goose fat .. all of these make frying items like potatoes simply heavenly!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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I've never heard of anybody saving chicken fat for later use. But I've known of people saving bacon fat for later use.

Not only do people save chicken fat but duck fat and goose fat .. all of these make frying items like potatoes simply heavenly!

I'll bet! But how do they store it and for how long (before it goes rancid, bad, etc.)?

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Everything you ever wanted to know about chicken fat but were afraid to ask .. check this out ... :wink:

Schmaltz is essentially a useful byproduct of making chicken soup. You buy some really fatty and bony chicken parts, you cook up a big old pot of soup stock, and you collect the fat that solidifies on top during the cool down/gelatinization process. Its the whole philosophy behind Jewish cooking, which is not to waste anything. Technically of course this is not true schmaltz, its just congealed chicken fat, and it has a high water content, so it will spatter in the pan when you cook it, so it may require straining or some reduction to get the liquid out, but its used in the same way as schmaltz made that is is rendered in a pan from chicken skin. Its fine for frying up onions because the water in it is going to vaporize anyway in the pan.

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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The other day i made a batch of chicken stock and had let it set up overnight in the fridge so I could remove the fat easily- when I was taking the thick fat 'cap' off I wondered if this is what 'scmaltz' (sp) is?? should I be saving this and cooking with it or just trash it like I normally do?

This is, indeed, "schmaltz" and the premiere ingredient in a superlative chicken liver pate. In addition, sauteeing anything in this fat adds tremendous flavor. Needless to say, this is not an approach for the heart-healthy

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^I just read yesterday that duck fat and pork fat have less saturated fat than butter.

Personally, I love animal fat.  :smile:

I love making schmaltz and using it for roasted fingerling potatos. Mmm...makes the whole house smell heavenly.

***Lorna, I'd love to know how you make schmaltz.

A few times a year I make "chopped liver" for friends and it's either a trek to Seattle to buy frozen chicken fat or my method which is to render fat from a chicken.

That seems to take forever and the yield is very low.

Char

Edited by Foodie-Girl (log)
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A few times a year I make "chopped liver" for friends and it's either a trek to Seattle to buy frozen chicken fat or my method which is to render fat from  a chicken.

That seems to take forever and the yield is very low.

Char

I'm not Lorna, but if you make chicken soup, never trim the fat off the chicken and throw in lots of wings. Not only will it make a good soup, it should produce some good shmaltz.

Strain the liquid and chill. All the fat will rise to the top and you can take it off in chunks.

OR, save up all your chicken skins and scraps from trimming and freeze until you have a good bag full. Thaw and place in an oven-safe dish. Put it in an oven at about 350 and let it cook until all of the fat has rendered out and you have chicken cracklins (greiven) (you can do this in a pot or frying pan on the stove as well). Strain the solids from the liquid fat. You can cook this with onions as well - if you want onion flavoured schmaltz.

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Hi Pam! Thanks for jumping in. Well, I don't make chicken soup but it might be worth doing if I can get a significant amount of chicken fat out of the process.

I am ashamed to admit most of our crispy chicken skin gets eaten....I know...not exactly a healthy idea but so tasty.

Thanks again!

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Hi Pam!  Thanks for jumping in.  Well, I don't make chicken soup but it might be worth doing if I can get a significant amount of chicken fat out of the process.

I am ashamed to admit most of our crispy chicken skin gets eaten....I know...not exactly a healthy idea but so tasty.

Thanks again!

You'll only get a significant amount of fat out of a soup if you put a significant amount of fat into the pot. That means lots of skin and pieces with lots of fat.

Don't be ashamed, btw. The best part about rendering shmaltz from skin and fat in the second method, is getting to snack on the pieces of chicken cracklin' after!

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***Lorna, I'd love to know how you make schmaltz. 

Thanks for jumping in, Pam. I didn't think to skim the fat off the soup!

Char, I cook it on the stovetop in a big pan on medium heat. So in essence, it is the same as Pam's oven method. I like to fish out the cracklings and season them as chicken fat "chips"...that way, you get to eat some skin AND have a big cup of schmaltz when you're done! I don't know how long the schmaltz is good for but I just keep it in the fridge in a covered container and use it within the week.

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Thanks, Pam and Lorna.

I think I'll give Method 2 a try as the combo of schmaltz AND 'chicken fat chips'...... :raz: is rather enticing.

BTW I have found that schmaltz freezes very well and for months with no appreciable change in quality.

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