Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Am I serious.?.......course I am!

I'm dedicating this one to a dear Chris-in-law.  No doubt if you can tell me what this is on sight then you (like) me have a pure understanding at the simple intricacies that make the world go roun' n' roun'!  What I'm talking 'bout of course, is good ol' fashion chicken cracklin'. 

Now I'm not gonna beat around the bush here, there are plenty of people who would be totally grossed out by this but I'm gonna have to at least give it a shout.  A friend of mine watching me de-skin chicken once told me that in China they chop chicken skins & deep fry them for snackies.  Now, you know & I know in the back of our little kitchen brains that cracklin' is an actual dish people make & eat but the thought of actually eating chicken skin for the sake of chicken skin always leaves me feeling a little, how do you say......gross.  But being the genius that I am (AKA, perpetual kitchen grazing munchie) tried & decided that it was indeed fantastic.

Now, why Chris?  When we lived together & I'd be making chicken he'd weasle his way into the kitchen & beg me to make him a batch of these crunchies for him to snack on.  Like seriously beg, in a whiny little way, and I of course would give in.  (Model SIL, I know)

But anyway.......you gotta try it.  There are only 3 rules here:

-  Slice the skin into thin 1 cm strips (nothing worse than actually getting chewy fat)
- Put a little oil in the pan for starters, though most of the grease will come from the drippings
- Make sure your pan is not too hot & preferably in a cast iron skillet (to keep the heat at a regulated temp, I got me a tiny little one)
- Salt, serve & eat when they've just cooled enough to get that CRUNCH going! 

So stone me, puritans if you must. But I gotta tell you, if you know someone who gripes & whines about "chicken fat", slip them a batch of these & then point your finger & laugh as they sit there munching away & you tell them what it is.

Go forth, brave cooks!  Come on now, I know secretly that picture of those shiny, crispy, salt crystal covered babies look totally eatable.

5 comments:

象さん said...

Morning Alisa, is that the same as Japan's yakitori called Nankotsu. I hate it, but my kids love it. Amazing the things you can eat if you know how to prepare them. My Malaysian friend says that chicken bone is yummy. Good on you for being the good sil.

Lily said...

Yeah, I do this all the time, Gene loves it, people actually started saving the chicken fat just for him. When you find a bowl of raw chicken skin in our fridge....yeah. But your right I like it too! Don't think, just do and it's yum!

Unknown said...

I'm both tempted and nauseated, which is an interesting sensation.

Isn't this what KFC is?

Christopher Schaaf said...

Oh, now i get it lol.
True love there AL! I have not had those since i left Japan! They are AMAZING!!!

Tearz Sakai said...

It actually sounds yummy, I will try it out;)