Tell me about shmaltz

watergirl

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 7:12 pm

SYA wrote:

I use schmaltz only. I fry it with onions. Once the chicken fat is mostly melted and the rest is getting dark and crunchy it's ready.

For kugel I use half cup instead of a whole cup of oil.

The food has a much richer taste. My kids love when we fry potatoes in it.
You can also add a drop to mashed potatoes with the gribenes and fry for a few minutes for the taste to absorb. Those were my family favorites growing up.

Just out of curiosity, you use only schmaltz all year? Or just pesach?

avrahamama

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 7:16 pm

So basically the general consensus seems to be shmaltz and potatoes is the magic.

To me anything with potatoes is magic.

I once saw a documentary about a family learning pesach recipes from their grandparents. They made matzah balls stuffed with onions caramelized in shmaltz. I have thought about ever since. Anyone in here do that?

Amarante

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 7:18 pm

avrahamama wrote:

I happen to love duck. Are goose and duck similar?

I love duck as well.

I only cooked goose one time years ago and it is similar to duck in that they are both fatty birds with dark meat as opposed to chickens which are now bred to have relatively large breasts with white meat.

Even though I didn't fatten up the goose, it did have an incredible amount of fat as I cooked it.

Duck fat is actually sold as a delicacy and duck confit is a gourmet dish - it's duck that is cooked very slowly in duck fat - e.g. duck schmaltz. Smile

I've never made it or tasted it but just read about it.

What Is Duck Confit?

Prep Time: 1 day Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours Level of Difficulty: Easy Serving Size: 4 to 6
Ingredients

4 whole duck legs
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 juniper berries, crushed
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups duck fat, melted

Directions

Mix all of the seasonings together and coat the duck pieces with the mixture. Place in a container or zip top bag and into the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours.
Brush off the excess seasonings.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
Place the duck legs in a single layer skin side down in a large pot. Pour the melted duck fat over top and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours until the meat can easily be pulled from the bone.

Amarante

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 7:21 pm

avrahamama wrote:

My bubbe cooked with schmaltz and I remember that there were wonderful onions that were sautéed in schmaltz. She used them in chopped liver and it was the best and I am sure that she used in other dishes but I don't remember them specifically. The idea of some recipes using mayo instead of schmaltz is vaguely repulsive to me - I have never liked any chopped liver as much as her recipe. She would also grind the liver in one of those grinders that attached to the table.

I remember the little eggs from the chickens that she would save for me and also the gribenes from making the schmaltz but I didn't know she was making schmaltz. I just looked forward to the gribenes.

avrahamama

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 7:50 pm

Amarante wrote:

This was so charming sounding.

Fresh eggs I'm sure are spectacular.

Amarante

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 7:55 pm

avrahamama wrote:

This was so charming sounding.

Fresh eggs I'm sure are spectacular.

Just to clarify, these were the unhatched eggs from fresh chickens. There was only one in a chicken and she would save it for me. Very Happy

I wish I had her recipe for blueberry shtoonekes. They were like a turnover and when we would pick blueberries she would make a batch

avrahamama

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 8:02 pm

Amarante wrote:

Just to clarify, these were the unhatched eggs from fresh chickens. There was only one in a chicken and she would save it for me. Very Happy

I wish I had her recipe for blueberry shtoonekes. They were like a turnover and when we would pick blueberries she would make a batch

This reminds me of the meme

Kid: I wish to devour your unborn
Mom: he'd like some eggs

I need to know all about your bubbe

I didn't have one. I had a nanny and im convinced that she was really Jewish. The name she went by was Maria but her legal name was Esther. Her father had a factory and would only hire survivors. She used to make shabbos for me when my mom was not around on Friday nights.

Amarante

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 8:05 pm

avrahamama wrote:

My Bubbe was my nanny. Very Happy

My mother was a teacher and my Bubbe lived in the other unit of our two fsmily house so she would get me ready for school and take care of me after school.

tp3

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 8:11 pm

I use only schmaltz on pesach too.
I cook it down without water. Once it's liquid I put it in the fridge where it solidifies and is super easy to scoop into recipes or to smear on a baking pan (for greasing) or add to a frying pan.
I also fry a big batch of onions before I start cooking for real because it's easy to add ready-fried onions to different foods.
Using nonstick parchment paper for baking replaces the need for a lot of schmaltz.
The only pain is always being fleishig. Not that we use milchigs on pesach but fleshings for breakfast isnt so appetizing.

avrahamama

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 8:15 pm

tp3 wrote:

Ummm are you saying you use shmaltz in cake? Cookies? Please explain.

Plonis

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 9:39 pm

I DO look forward to shmaltz on Pesach!

We stopped using it ONLY, but I still try to have shmaltz because it isn't Pesach without it!

You haven't truly lived until you've had shmaltzy scrambled eggs and home fries. HEAVEN!

This year I couldn't get a package of shmaltz, I'm hoping I can salvage enough from the chickens I bought to make some...

Rappel

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 10:36 pm

librarygirl wrote:

It's delicious. Put some chicken skins and fat into a pot and cook. I usually keep it covered until the skins are brown then uncover. Take out the grieven when crispy, let the shmaltz cool a little then pour into a container.

This. It's wonderful. I think non-Jews call it rendered fat, if you want to do some internet research.

I didn't grow up with it , but someone once gave us the fat from the sheep's tail after a shechitah, and we made lamb shmaltz. Oh. My. Hashem. For weeks afterward, our rice and our cholent were unbelievably good. So worth it.

And the grievenes are also really, really good. Wink

Rappel

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 10:43 pm

Amarante wrote:

We had one of those grinders growing up! I'd love to have one again - it's the only way that grinding and mixing meat makes sense in my head.

I've heard of those eggs, but never seen them myself. What were they like? How did you cook them? We're they just smaller and in the shell?

heidi

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 10:46 pm

avrahamama wrote:

My grandmother.
Her stuffed knaidlach were heavenly.
Only one aunt has the recipe bcz. the rest of her children knew this kind of food kills people.

Rappel

Thu, Mar 26 2020, 10:50 pm

heidi wrote:

My grandmother.
Her stuffed knaidlach were heavenly.
Only one aunt has the recipe bcz. the rest of her children knew this kind of food kills people.

Only if you eat it every day Tongue Out

Care to share it here? I've never liked knaidelach, but I've also never heard of stuffed and carmelized knaidelach. They sound like Jewish empanadas. I'd like to try something new!