Fried Jerk Chicken Cracklings

In this recipe, chicken skin is fried until pleasantly crispy then tossed with a homemade jerk seasoning. A mix of comforting, spicy, and herbal flavors, the jerk seasoning adds a complexity to the cracklings that makes their decadent crunch that much more enjoyable. You can serve these as an appetizer, or as a crunchy topping in burgers, wraps, and salads. • serves 4

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• 1 tablespoon allspice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 pounds chicken skin
• 1½ cups whole milk
• Canola oil, for frying
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the allspice, salt, rosemary, ginger, cloves, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper until smooth.

Take a piece of chicken skin and lay it flat on the cutting board. Use a blunt knife to scrape the excess fat off the skin. Set the skin aside on a paper towel and repeat until all the chicken skin has been cleaned. Cut the skin into 1-inch-wide strips.

In a medium baking dish, whisk together one-third of the jerk seasoning with the milk. Add the chicken skin to the dish and toss to coat. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken skins have softened.

Remove the skins from the casserole pan and lay out to dry on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Add canola oil to a large pot until the oil is 4 inches deep and there is at least 4 inches from the surface of the oil to the top of the pot. Heat the oil until it is 350°F.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the flour and one-half of the remaining jerk seasoning. Dredge the chicken skin in the flour mixture to coat.

In batches, fry the chicken skin until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted metal spatula and let cool on a wire rack lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with the remaining jerk seasoning and serve.