As previously mentioned, I like to buy whole chickens, break them down my self, and use the carcasses to make homemade stock. However, this means I also have a ton of chicken skin saved up as well. I had 3 quart bags filled with skin and decided something needed to be done.

Unfortunately, the only thing I can really think to do with lots of chicken skin is to render out the fat, otherwise known as schmaltz. Making schmaltz is pretty easy, just combine the skin with some water to start the rendering process and continue to cook until the fat is all rendered out. I chopped the skin into smaller pieces to aid the rendering and was the most time consuming part. Optionally, you can add some diced onion near the end to add some flavor. I ended up getting 1.5 pints of schmaltz from all that skin.

The first thing I made was confit garlic. I packed a bunch of garlic cloves in a mason jar with the schmaltz and cooked it with an immersion circulator (sous vide) at 190F until lightly golden brown (about 6 hours). The garlic cloves turn jammy and can be used as a savory spread. I took it to a family gathering and added it to mashed potatos.

The next thing I made was Matzo Ball Soup with some homemade stock and off the shelf matzo meal. The schmaltz is added to the matzo balls for tenderness and flavor. It reminded me of a chicken noodle soup with dumplings instead of noodles. I also added extra dill because it's one of my favorite herbs.