Classic Apple Schmaltz
If you like bread and butter, you are going to love bread and schmaltz. Salty rendered chicken fat and skin is complimented by sweet onions and apples, and spread liberally on bread as a pre-dinner snack or a meal of its own. The apples are really lovely in this Autumnal recipe, especially if paired with toasted, earthy rye bread.
Fat and excess skin from one medium-sized chicken
1 small, tart apple, unpeeled and roughly chopped. (I love Granny Smith here)
1 small yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsb dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Rye bread toast
Place the fat and skin in a medium saucepan and render over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the skin is golden and crispy. Add chopped apple, onion, and thyme and continue to cook over medium heat until onions are caramelized and deeply golden and apples are very soft and falling apart. Remove the thyme stem (its leaves should have fallen off). Remove from heat and process with a hand blender or food processor until it’s a thick, uniform paste. Allow this mixture to cool completely in the refrigerator. Transfer it to a stand mixer and whip it with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy like whipped butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spread it on everything, especially toasted rye bread.
About the Chef
Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.