Anybody who wants to make truly authentic Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine must first learn how to make schmaltz and gribenes. Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat, which is an important component of many traditional recipes. Sometimes referred to as “Jewish bacon,” gribenes are crispy, salty, sinfully delicious morsels, a byproduct of the fat rendering process.
To the modern health-conscious cook, schmaltz and gribenes might sound like a heart attack waiting to happen. Schmaltz is a high cholesterol fat, but it adds a very unique flavor to dishes that is unmatched by any other type of oil. While many people find gribenes delicious, others might consider them too strange or unhealthy to enjoy.
Take them or leave them, schmaltz and gribenes are quintessentially Jewish. Schmaltz in particular adds an authentic flavor to many Ashkenazi Jewish recipes, including matzo balls and chopped liver.
Though richly flavored, both schmaltz and gribenes were born of frugality. In Eastern European countries, chicken meat was an expensive treat. When a chicken was purchased from the butcher, every part of the bird was used. Schmaltz and gribenes are two creative ways of using parts of the chicken that might otherwise be thrown away.
Schmaltz is collected by slowly sautéing chicken skin and fat, then collecting the liquid fat that melts as it cooks. Most of the time onion is added to the mix, which flavors the schmaltz and makes the gribenes extra tasty.
As the schmaltz collects, the chicken skin, fat, and onion to produce a batch of crispy little gribenes. They can be snacked on as-is or added as a condiment to other dishes.
You might be wondering, “Where do I get a whole pound of chicken skin and fat?” Well, you can collect it from your everyday chicken recipes (store it in the freezer and thaw before using). You can try asking your butcher if they have any for sale. Or, you can buy a bunch of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, which are the fattiest cut of the chicken. Remove the fat and skin, then reserve the thighs for another dish.
As for rendering the fat, I have outlined two easy methods below. You can also collect schmaltz by cooling chicken soup in the refrigerator, then skimming the solid fat that rises to the top.
If you’re a fan of schmaltz and gribenes, most likely you grew up on chopped liver. Check out my recipe here, which incorporates both schmaltz and gribenes in the mix.
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Schmaltz and Gribenes
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken skin and fat, cut into narrow 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion, sliced into thin 1/4 inch pieces
NOTES
Instructions
Skillet Method
- Rinse the pound of chicken skin and fat, pat dry, then chop it into small 1/2 inch pieces.
- Toss the chicken skin pieces with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place the skin and fat into a skillet on the stovetop (make sure it's cast iron or nonstick!) and turn heat to medium low. Cover the skillet and let it cook on medium 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. At this point you can add onion, which will give you an onion-flavored darker colored schmaltz, or you can render the fat without onion for a cleaner, purer fat with no onion essence. Most Jewish cooks prefer to render the fat with onion. Let the skin and fat 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. At this point there should be quite a bit of liquid fat at the bottom of the pan—this liquid is your schmaltz.
- Remove pan from heat. Pour the schmaltz from the skillet into a container, using a mesh strainer to catch any small pieces of skin. A golden oil will result—this is called schmaltz. It can be used in a variety of Jewish dishes or as a cooking fat.
- If you cooked the onions as the fat rendered, your oil will be a darker golden color with an orange hue. The schmaltz will stay liquid at room temperature; it will become solid and opaque if you refrigerate it.
- If you cooked the skin and onion together, return to medium heat and continue cooking in the skillet until the skin is deeply golden, curled and crispy, and the onions are dark brown. Drain on a paper towel and serve.
- If you did not cook the onions with the skin, you can cook them after the schmaltz is collected. Return the cooked chicken skin and fat to the skillet.
- Turn heat to medium and sauté the mixture for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Don’t leave them alone for long or they’ll burn! Adjust heat lower as needed to keep from blackening too much.When pieces are dark brown and crispy, remove the gribenes from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. They become crispier as they cool.
- Gribenes can be snacked on as-is or added to other dishes as a topping.
Baking Sheet Method
- Rinse the pound of chicken skin and fat, pat dry, then chop it into small 1/2 inch pieces.Cut your onions into slices, then cut slices into pieces around 1/4 inch long.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the chicken skin and fat with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then spread it out into a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and let it roast for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to turn golden and curl at the edges. Fat will have started collecting on the sheet.
- Add onions to the hot baking sheet, spreading them out evenly throughout the chicken skin.
- Return to oven and continue roasting for another 40-50 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy and the onions are dark brown. When stirring, make sure to move the pieces on the outside towards the center, and move the center pieces out towards the middle, so the pieces evenly brown.
- When the pieces become crispy, remove from the oven and let the tray cool down. Strain the fat from the tray through a mesh strainer into a collection container.
- The gribenes are delicious to snack on or used as a topping. The schmaltz should be saved and used in a variety of savory dishes. In will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
LindaIg says
As many others, I have loved reading through this cultural smashup of schmaltz forms and use. My very assimilated culturally Jewish family made gribenes every time we had chicken, even a very small amount and mixed it with the chicken giblets and hearts or chopped liver. These days I am accosted by my friends for making this “unhealthy” food. Life is too short to give up those things that have so much love and history attached.
marly harris says
Tori-
I had no idea that Whole Foods sold duck fat. I’m changing from my gym sneakers to my sexy sandals, missing my workout, and going to Whole Foods immediately. I love the stuff but I don’t like duck itself so I no longer prepare duck. I’m already salivating. And for those who question the validity of eating fat, I’ve lost 145 pounds on a very high-fat regimen (and never felt deprived or hungry).
Tori Avey says
Marly, you will love it! Hope your local Whole Foods sells it, sometimes they carry different products. FYI the brand that they sell is not kosher, just in case that’s a concern. And I agree, fat is our friend! 🙂
Greg says
Enjoyed reading your blog, history and insights to the food you prepare. I have always found the history and meaning of the foods we eat interesting. I was wondering what your thoughts were on using the duck fat that a properly roasted duck provides in lieu of schmaltz. I use it to saute veggies like asparagus. Du8ck fat adds a wonderful flavor to them
Tori Avey says
Hi Greg, I think duck fat is a great alternative to schmaltz in many applications! It has a slightly duck-ish flavor which is delicious, however it may not be a welcome addition to certain traditional Jewish dishes (matzo balls, etc.)– it really depends on how “traditional” you want the dish to taste. For other applications like sauteed veggies to for caramelizing onions, I think duck fat is fantastic. My local Whole Foods sells rendered duck fat by the tub, and I sometimes buy it as a special treat for cooking. 🙂
Marty Jacobs says
Linda, Go to google and get the top 2 sites for matzoh. I`m not sure of the spelling. Send the first one an email asking why no matzohmeal in Wyoming and can they send you a couple of boxes COD. Might get lucky. Then try the Shiksas` recipe.
Stu Borken says
Substitute the soda for the water or soup. Also, separate the whites of the egg and beat them to a stiff stage and fold this into the matzah meal you made. If you want more course meal, you pulse the matzah in the food processor then pour it into a strainer and shake it about and you will loose the finer dust like material and be left with the sort of matzah meal you want.
Linda B says
I moved to Wyoming 14 years ago and have really struggled to make high altitude matzo balls. I have read that adding seltzer helps, but have not heard about how much! I am also frustrated that I cannot get matzo meal here. So, this time I took matzos (not for passover unfortunately) and went ahead and used my processor to grind them up. Worked, but I wish I could get what I need here! Soooo, can you help with the matzo ball crisis??
Tori Avey says
Hi Linda, have you considered ordering matzo meal online? I don’t live at a high altitude so I’m not sure how to help in that regard, but people have had great results with my floater matzo ball recipe: http://theshiksa.com/2012/03/25/floater-matzo-balls/
YAEL says
Omg… i grew up with the Schmaltz and Gribenes. Until i was 4 years old, i was at home and my grandma, who lived with us, took care of me in the mornings. I used to sit with her in the kitchen, and watch her cook. I loved the days of the Schmaltz and Gribenes. She used to serve me a slice of fresh bread, covered with Gribenes. It was divine. God rest her soul. (Grandma was born in Romania, and her family was from Poland)
valerie says
Mmm! Thanks for the tip!
Stu Borken says
I collect my next batch of raw chicken fat Nov. 26, when I do my next charity chicken preparation. Should be enough for 4 pints of schmaltz. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota if anyone wants to watch the technique we can schedule a “class” some day in the future.
Dovd'l says
Dear Stuart:
Thanks for the tip. I suspect my problem was adding the onions way too soon. I look forward to trying your technique on the next batch.
Dovd’l
Dovd'l says
Ever since mom passed away, I’ve tried to keep up the schmaltz tradition. When I make it, it turns out fine, but the gribenes are not crunchy, though quite brown. I add the onions after most of the fat is rendered, but not after the skin has fully browned. Is there a better technique for assuring crispy skin without burning?
Stuart B. says
I always end up with crispy gribenes. My technique is as follows. First I wash with cold water the collected fat and skin. I freeze the 2-3 pounds of raw chicken fat globules, which I save from the back end of the chicken at the back end of the thigh. There is usually one large flat mass of yellow fat there, about 2 inches by 2 inches by 1/4 inch. I wash these and lay them flat in large gallon plastic bags about 2-3 to a layer. I freeze these and then remove them and with a very big sharp knife I cut these into long strips about 1 inch wide. I then cut the strips into 1 inch squares. These I put into a very deep stock pot and place it over medium high heat. This comes to a boil and I boil and stir until all the fatty tissue and skin has rendered out its fat. The gribenes are allowed to continue browning until they are a pretty deep brown. I then use a Chinese skimmer, a spider, to scoop out the solid grebinez while they are frying. I place them into a strainer over the boiling fat and allow them to drain. If you scoop them out from very hot frying fat they will be crispy when they cool, but, you have to let them render ALL their fat. Do not have the fat become so hot that it burns the grebinez. It is then that I add my huge amount of chopped onions and fry them for about 45 minutes at which time they then are browned, not burned, and I remove them with more of the fat along with them and save this portion as a seasoning item…fried onion and fat. I then bottle the liquid fat and freeze it for future use. I end up with three products; one is the grebinez which I never know what to do with, two is the fried onions with lots of schmaltz along with it which I grind into chopped liver or place into mashed potatoes for knish filling seasoning. Three is the plane schmaltz which is used to pan fry a smashed potato or to season matza balls, knish filling and chopped liver. Four just spread on bread and sprinkle with garlic salt. I also paint it onto the outside dough of the knishs with a pastry brush before baking the knishes.
ChrisSinc says
This brought back memories & understanding for me as a child. My Mom used to save all the fat rendered from cooking various meats & store it for future use. She very rarely bought cooking oil. My Mom did a lot of what I thought as “odd” stuff in the kitchen to save money, but now I realize that during the war, they had to be creative & she just continued to do it. I have found a very old old cookbook that she had in England and I am going to try them, just for ole-time sake. Thank you for the memory.
Karla Hill says
I had some chopped liver from a restaurant and suspected that it was made with beef liver as the texture and taste was different from what I expected. That led me to how to ‘fix’ it. Looked up smaltz and found your website. I have enjoyed the last 2 hours reading comments about smaltz. Time flies when you are having fun. Now going in search of chicken fat and skin in the stores so I can try my hand at making smaltz!!! Looking forward to the weekly newsletter and comments via e-mail. Thanks for the memories. My dad always rendered the goose fat from our New Years day dinner of roasted goose.
lee says
love your posts
lee says
pls add me to your email newsletter
Tori Avey says
Done Lee!
Sandra says
Hello! I am not Jewish, but I and some members have been using chicken fat for years. My grandmother used to cook for a wealthy Jewish family and learned about the skin and onion combination from them as well. She also told me about their lavish kitchen that was essentially two kitchens as the meat had to be prepared separately. I’m not clear on why that is done though! I enjoyed reading your blog! Thanks!
Delores says
Great instructions! Thanks
Stu Borken says
I am the local procurer of raw chicken skin and fat, not Kosher. I volunteer at a local Loaves & Fishes. We cut up chicken legs from thighs and roast this for dinner. I process 280 pounds of chicken every two months. I get to save the fat from the back of the thighs. It’s a large fat pad and I end up with 6-9 pounds of skin and fat. I freeze it in 2.5 pound pouches and give it away. Two packs make 2-3 pints of schmaltz and a pint of grebinez. I fry the fat and skin to brown, then remove that and fry a huge amount of onions and when they are golden I remove them and use them for chopped liver and for knish filling seasoning. The schmaltz goes into the knish filling and the chopped liver and into matza balls. Maybe some get spread onto bread with garlic salt and then toasted, just maybe. I freeze the schmaltz. Some people just want the rendered schmaltz, others want the raw skin and fat and do it themselves. It’s a lost art.
Prissnboot says
Tori,
I don’t know if this has been addressed in the above comments, I don’t have the opportunity right now to check it out. But my question is this:
I was thinking about marinating the chicken skin along with the chicken for your Tequila Lime Chicken recipe, then removing the skin and making gribenes from them. Yummy…except for the resulting schmaltz. Would it also be flavored? And if so….for the good? I don’t imagine a lime infused knish dough would be too appetizing…although definitely different! Perhaps for a citrus dessert kind of knish? Hmmm…my imagination is beginning to wake up.
Thanks for all of your good works, and your source for your gorgeous plates as well! My husband STILL has Corelle-ware, the butterfly gold kind, and there just isn’t enough words synonymous with ugly here! Operation KillCorelle has commenced! I figure one plate per payday and it should be done by Chanukkah…
Mark says
Oy! How I love schmaltz and gribenes. I make it a lot. I make it from chicken, goose and duck. All have a different flavor. Sometimes, I will saute the above with onion, carrots, celery and garlic. I will also occasionally add a touch of olive oil to the saute. My bubbe taught me how when I was growing up. The schmaltz gives steak and burgers a wonderful flavor. Also, fry eggs in it.
BTW, Publix markets has frozen schmaltz. If the don’t carry it, ask the Grocery Manager to bring it in. It is on their list.
Also, put me on your e-mail list.
Thanx
L’olam lo suv