Making crackling and rendering the “liquid gold” fat is such a simple process. It’s going to be wonderful having the fat in the freezer to use in making so many dishes. Seriously, potatoes & vegetables roasted or sautéed in goose fat are the bomb!! The cracking we enjoy snacking on and also using as a crunchy topping on salads and soup. Any way that you’d enjoy pork rinds you can enjoy crackling. This post shows us using goose, but the same process is used for chicken, duck and turkey fat. All are wonderful and worth making.
- Fat and skin, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces, we used the excess skin & fat from 2 geese but you can use as much or as little as desired
- 1 cup water
- Himalayan sea salt
Add the fat, skin & water to a heavy pot that is twice the depth of the amount of skin & fat. The addition of the water will help the fat begin to render and more is not needed with the addition of more birds, but if using the skin and fat from 1 bird or less, reduce the amount to 1/4-1/2 cup. Turn the heat to high, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, remove the lid and reduce the temperature to bring the pot to a light boil. As the fat renders and the water evaporates, the mixture may hiss or spatter. Let the fat render out on the stove for about 2-3 hours depending on how low you have your flame. Be sure to give the fat a good stir with some tongs about every 1/2 hour The fat will start out yellow and milky butt will turn clear and the skin and fat pieces with be golden brown. Now you’re ready. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cracklings from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate, salt immediately. Allow the liquid fat to cool slightly, then strain into clean, sealable containers using a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Store the duck fat covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in the freezer for a year or more.
Enjoy!!
