Sure, you can use olive or avocado oil for cooking, but once you try cooking with schmaltz, you might not ever go back! It is a richly flavored, high-heat cooking fat that will bring your knishes to the next level, and then some! Gribenes are the delicious by-product of making schmaltz; once all of the fat is rendered, you’re left with crispy salty bites that are best compared to bacon—not made of pork, of course! Save the skin and fat when you trim chicken for any chicken dish you prepare. You can save it in a bag in the freezer until you get about ¾ pound (340 g).
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Makes: ½ cup (120 ml) schmaltz and ½–¾ cup (60-80 ml) gribenes
¾ pound (340 g) chicken fat and skin
¼ cup (60 ml) water
1 teaspoon salt
½ medium onion, cut into small dices
Mince your chicken fat as small as possible. This is much easier done when the fat is frozen. The best way is to slice it and then pulse it in a food processor.
In a large skillet, combine the fat with the water and salt and set over medium heat. Allow it to cook for 15 minutes or so, until the fat begins to render and the skin and fat begin to brown a bit.
After 15 minutes, add the onion and turn the heat down to medium-low. Continue to cook for 45–60 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep brown in color. Adjust the heat as needed, so that the fat is sizzling but not browning too quickly. It should remain clear and yellow.
Strain the schmaltz with a fine mesh sieve and store the schmaltz and gribenes in the refrigerator in seperate jars.
Bubbe’s tip: I wouldn’t know what bacon tastes like because I don’t eat treif, but your uncle Morty says the gribenes taste just like bacon. Kosher bacon! Can you believe it?!