Chicken Cracklings

Maria Emmerich

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 5

Course Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Poultry, Snack, Soups and Salads

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 92.4

Rinse the chicken skin and fat, pat dry, then chop it into small 1/4 inch pieces. Then place into a large greased skillet (or it will stick in the beginning) on the stovetop and turn heat to low. Cover the skillet and cook on low for about 15 minutes. Liquid fat will start to pool at the bottom of the skillet. Uncover the skillet and raise heat to medium low. Let it cook for another 15-20 minutes, breaking the pieces apart with a spatula and stirring frequently, until the skin starts to brown and curl at the edges. Add onions, garlic and any spices you would like to add and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onions are browned a bit. There should be quite a bit of liquid fat at the bottom of the pan (which can be reserved for cooking in the future). Remove pan from heat.
Pour the rendered fat from the skillet into a container, using a mesh strainer to catch any small pieces of skin.
After collecting the liquid fat, return the cooked chicken skin and fat to the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and herbs to the skillet. Season the chicken skin and onions generously with salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium and sauté the mixture for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces are dark brown (not black!) and crispy. Remove from the skillet and drain them on a paper towel. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 15 servings.