# Chicken fat (schmaltz?) - what to do with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165 "2010-03-03T19:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/1 "2010-03-03T19:18:31Z")
Chicken leg quarters have been on sale recently and the kids love them so we’ve been having them quite a bit lately. I usually just alt and pepper them and put them in a baking dish until the meat is cooked and the skin is nice and crispy. At the end of this process I usually have about a cup of chicken fat in the bottom of the pan. I understand this is called schmaltz – correct? What can I do with it? So far I’ve just been throwing it out. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/2 "2010-03-03T19:25:54Z")
Traditionally it’s used for frying or as a spread after rendering. ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/3 "2010-03-03T19:30:19Z")
Too bad about throwing it out, it’s tasty stuff. You can go with the traditional Jewish uses: matzo balls or chopped liver. Or use it as the fat when you fry or scramble eggs. You can use it for pan-frying potatoes, or to saute greens, or to brown the vegetables when you make a stew or risotto. I happen to have a bunch of duck fat on my hands and used it when sauteeing the vegetables for jambalaya. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/4 "2010-03-03T23:58:40Z")
Make gravy. Heat a couple of heaping tablespoons of your chicken fat with the same amount of flour. Cook and stir a few minutes until it’s really bubbly and just starts to brown. Add chicken broth from a can or carton (1 1/2 to 2 cups) and stir constantly until it is thick and almost simmering. Season with s & p to taste. Spoon over almost anything (mashed potatoes, noodles, chicken breast cutlets, biscuits, veggies, rice . . . ) Freeze the fat for future gravies and frying. It can be your secret stash of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/5 "2010-03-04T17:07:47Z")
> [@Proudest\_Monkey](#): > > Make gravy. Heat a couple of heaping tablespoons of your chicken fat with the same amount of flour. Cook and stir a few minutes until it’s really bubbly and just starts to brown. Add chicken broth from a can or carton (1 1/2 to 2 cups) and stir constantly until it is thick and almost simmering. Season with s & p to taste. > > Spoon over almost anything (mashed potatoes, noodles, chicken breast cutlets, biscuits, veggies, rice . . . ) > > Freeze the fat for future gravies and frying. It can be your secret stash of flavor. I like this idea! - Gravy (drool) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/6 "2010-03-05T05:35:45Z")
It’s great just spread on a slice of bread, with a pinch of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-fat-schmaltz-what-to-do-with-it/531165/7 "2010-03-06T06:24:48Z")
Use it to panfry potatoes and onions. Use it in place of butter, unless you’re making pastry.