Schmaltz and Gribenes

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Akko Old City

📍 Where this dish comes from: Akko (Acre), Israel · Akko Old City
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Schmaltz and Gribenes, plated and ready to serve

This is the foundational fat referenced throughout this entire book, rendered slowly from chicken skin and fat until what’s left is a rich, savory cooking fat plus a batch of genuinely addictive crisp cracklings.

What You’ll Need

Schmaltz and Gribenes

Rendered chicken fat and the crisp cracklings left behind, the essential cooking fat of Ashkenazi kitchens.
Print Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewish
Servings: 1 batch (1 1/2 cups)
Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken skin and fat chopped
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Combine chicken skin and fat with water in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
  • Cook 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the fat renders and the water evaporates.
  • Add onion and continue cooking 10–15 minutes, until the skin pieces are deeply golden and crisp.
  • Strain the rendered fat into a jar, reserving the crisp bits, called gribenes, separately.
  • Season gribenes with salt. Store schmaltz in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 120kcal
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Health Benefits

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