Mastering The Worthwhile Art Of Rendering Chicken Fat

September 19, 1985|By Phyllis Magida.

Q--Whenever I roast a chicken, I always pull off the pockets of fat on the inside near the cavity opening. I have heard this can be melted down and used. Can you tell me what it is used for and how to melt it down?

Arlen Richardson, Lake Bluff.

A--Melted chicken fat has a number of uses. It can be used as a basting fat while the bird is roasting. It can be used as the fat base in a chicken gravy or sauce. Jewish people use it in cooking: as an ingredient in matzoh balls and in chopped liver, for example.

To render chicken fat, pull off all the excess fat from the bird. Chop it finely with a sharp knife and put it in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add a small amount of water, cover and simmer over low heat until the fat has melted and the residue (the solid material you see bobbing around in the melted fat) is lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly, then strain into a clean jar with a cover and refrigerate.

For an extra treat, make cracklings. These are delicious, browned crisp bits of chicken skin that enhance any salad when sprinkled over the top. Cut some chicken skin into small pieces (1-inch wide strips or 1/2-inch squares) and put this into the pan along with the chicken fat and water. When the fat has melted and the cracklings are browned, strain the fat into a jar and spread the cracklings out in a single layer on paper towels. Salt them lightly, then store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Q--Can you tell me the difference between pan frying and sauteing? I see directions for both in many recipes but they seem to be the same thing.

Roger R. Mandelson, Chicago.

A--The word saute--a French word--is used to describe a procedure almost identical to our pan frying. The differences seem to be twofold: first, the material being cooked and second, the rapidity of the procedure. When a French chef sautes something--and many different things can be sauteed--he cooks it quickly in a skillet in a small amount of hot fat; when an American chef pan fries something--that something is usually meat--it is simply fried (not particularly quickly) in a small amount of fat.

Q--Could you please tell me how much a jigger is? I know it`s a way of measuring liquor used by bartenders, but since I don`t have a jigger measure, I don`t know how much to use when a jigger is called for in a recipe.

Mrs. L. Denerts, Chicago.

A--The standard measurement for a jigger is an ounce and a half--an amount that translates to 3 tablespoons in cooking, according to Leonard Solomon, wine director of Armanetti Wines and Liquors.