A bit off the BBQ topic, but here goes...

[Daba's BBQ]

I'm addicted to tuna and chicken salad and think they make great sides. I must have had 200 versions of these, most are just ok. But the memorable ones are jist that, memorable. They all seem to have one ingredient that is endemic to all of them.

I've tried to replicate them dozens of times, but never, ever could nail it. I tried honey, mustards, pickle juice, etc. Nothing worked.

When I bring this up with my peeps they say it is schmaltz. Now, I'm a native New Yawka, so I know what schmaltz is but have no idea how to make it even where to buy it.

If anyone has any insight on any of this, i would very grateful to hear from you.

Al always, Peace
Daba's BBQ

[Beefchop]

It's basically just rendered chicken fat. I usually make it by taking the juices and fat drippings from a chicken I've cooked in a pan or on a broiler, and placing it in a squeeze bottle or container after I've strained the juices through a fine wire mesh colander or cheesecloth. You can make it by putting some chicken skins and scraps in a pot and browning it with an onion and a little water, straining the juices as mentioned. Some folks like to use a canning jar to store their schmaltz. Whatever you use, it should keep in the fridge for several months.

[FireMan]

So, when ya call someone a schmatlz yer callin em "chicken fat". Hmm.

[RonB]

I can think of worse things to be called.

[Texas Larry]

We skim ours off the top of chilled homemade chicken stock.

[Panhead John]

Texas Larry Can you make the Fall MeatUp? I just posted about it an hour ago. Wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it.

[Texas Larry]

@panheadjohn saw it, working on it. Thx!

[FireMan]

So in yer case you call someone a chilled homemade "chicken fat".

[Daba's BBQ]

Wow, who knew?!

Ironically, I'm making roast chicken for dinner and will definitely use the above ideas
Thank you guys

Peace

[ecowper]

one of the other great "secret ingredients" for mayo based salads and sauces is celery seeds, by the way. :-)

[Daba's BBQ]

Fireman- I should be so lucky that that's the worst thing someone ever called me!

[Dewesq55]

When I cook Indian food, the recipes always call for skinless, but bone in chicken. I skin the parts the tender them out in a low skillet. Et voilà, schmaltz! And the chicken skin cracklings are a delicious snack.

[FireMan]

An Indian schmaltz, who woulda knew?

[Draznnl]

My grandmother, the best cook I've ever known, made her schmaltz by skimming the fat off the top of her chicken soup. Now, I've shared that, but don't even think of asking for her potato kugel recipe.

[Beefchop]

Closely guarded secrets of the Bubbe!

[GolfGeezer]

A local market chain here in SoCal carries it (Sprouts), along with duck and goose fat. You can get it from the Big A:

Epic Provisions, Fat Chicken Organic, 11 Ounce: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

Not quite the same as rendering your own, but it is very good for store-bought.

[ofelles]

So I have never seen a recipe that calls for schmaltz. How much do you add? I would think a small quantity.

[GolfGeezer]

@ofellas Most anything that was cooked or fried in a fat was done in schmaltz when I was growing up. Fried potato pancakes, sautéing veggies - any cook that used oil/fat was done with schmaltz. I never saw it used as an ingredient in something.

[ofelles]

GolfGeezer That is my thinking but reading this I thought maybe I missed something. I use bacon, duck, goose, chicken fat in a lot of my cooking.