Schmaltz and Gribenes

By Melissa Clark

Schmaltz and Gribenes
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
4(188)
Comments
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Schmaltz is rendered poultry fat, in this case made from chicken, while gribenes are its crispy, crackling-like byproduct that comes from bits of chicken skin. The key to this recipe is to go low and slow: You want the fat to cook gently and thoroughly so it renders completely without burning. Some would argue that the onion is mandatory and not optional, but if you plan to use the schmaltz for very delicate recipes, or sweet recipes (chilled schmaltz works wonderfully as the fat in pastry dough), feel free to leave it out. Your schmaltz won’t have as deep a flavor, but it will be more versatile. Schmaltz will last for at least a week in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer. If your butcher won’t sell it to you, the best way to obtain chicken skin and fat is to collect trimmings in the freezer every time you buy a whole bird. Or you can strip the skin and fat from chicken thighs and save the skinless meat to use in other recipes.

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Ingredients

Yield:½ cup schmaltz, 2 cups gribenes
  • ¾pound chicken skin and fat, diced (use scissors, or freeze then dice with a knife)
  • ¾teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½medium onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

253 calories; 25 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 153 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, toss chicken skin and fat with salt and 1 tablespoon water and spread out in one layer. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until fat starts to render and skin begins to turn golden at the edges.

  2. Step 2

    Add onions and cook 45 to 60 minutes longer, tossing occasionally, until chicken skin and onions are crispy and richly browned, but not burned.

  3. Step 3

    Strain through a sieve. Reserve the schmaltz. If you want the gribenes to be crispier, return to the skillet and cook over high heat until done to taste. Drain gribenes on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Tip
  • If you’d rather make the schmaltz in the oven (less splatter), skip the water, spread salted skin and fat on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. Add onion after 15 minutes. The timing will be about the same for both methods.

Ratings

4 out of 5
188 user ratings
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Comments

Pat Yankitis

You missed one ingredient - blood from the scraped knuckles from the potato grater

Figaro

This is a quintessential Yiddish thing. My mom used to render fat and we'd share the grebenes; later I would buy chickens on sale for .49 /lb and strip out all the fat and excess skin. We'd all fight over the pile. Now it's hard to find skin or fat; but chicken backs and necks work; strip them and use remainder for stock. Now, at 74, I mostly buy it in jars from Amazon. Melissa's instruction are accurate; onion is great but add sliced apple too.

Karolyn Schalk

The oven version seems to turn out crispier gribenes. I also like that there's less spatter so easier clean-up.

S

You can also make schmaltz in the microwave. Especially good for when you just have a small amount. Just do it in a Pyrex measuring cup. That’s how I have always done it, but now I will try the oven method because I have a lot.

S

Sorry for all the notes, but schmaltz is a highly emotional subject! When we were kids, and our mother or grandmother would make schmaltz, there would just be a small custard cup of gribines (which, for some reason, my family pronounces “greevin”),and we kids could each only have a little bit because it had to be saved for Dad! If my brother and cousins see this, they will know who wrote it…

Linda & Walter

Made this a few days - very good. Had some leftover gribenes and put it on some leftover cheese pizza and baked it in the microwave for a few minutes. Nice combination and the gribenes crisped up nicely. Not kosher (meat and dairy) but tasted good.

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