Cracklings
Encyclopedia
Cracklings or crackling (British
) is a crisp, deep fried food that may be made from various animals. Pork rind
cracklings are popular in the American south. The skin of all kinds of poultry
are used to make cracklings, including duck, chicken, goose and game birds. Some classic dishes, such as cassoulet
, depend on a top crust made crunchy by turning the skin of the duck used in the dish into a topping. Cracklings of all kinds are eaten plain, folded into breads and dumplings, and sprinkled atop dishes on their way to the table to add crunch. They are part of all traditional European cuisines, since the use of all parts of a butchered animal was nutritionally and economically important. They are called gribenes
and traditionally made from goose or chicken in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
) is a crisp, deep fried food that may be made from various animals. Pork rind
Pork rind
Pork rind , is the fried or roasted skin of a pig. Frying melts most of the fat from the pork rind...
cracklings are popular in the American south. The skin of all kinds of poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
are used to make cracklings, including duck, chicken, goose and game birds. Some classic dishes, such as cassoulet
Cassoulet
Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat , pork skin and white haricot beans....
, depend on a top crust made crunchy by turning the skin of the duck used in the dish into a topping. Cracklings of all kinds are eaten plain, folded into breads and dumplings, and sprinkled atop dishes on their way to the table to add crunch. They are part of all traditional European cuisines, since the use of all parts of a butchered animal was nutritionally and economically important. They are called gribenes
Gribenes
Gribenes or grieven are crisp chicken or goose skin cracklings with fried onions, a kosher food somewhat similar to pork rinds. Gribenes are a byproduct of schmaltz preparation....
and traditionally made from goose or chicken in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.
Preparation
Cracklings can be a byproduct of rendering fat for culinary use, or can be made by cutting the skin of poultry into pieces that are deep-fried in rendered fat until golden brown.See also
- Pork rindPork rindPork rind , is the fried or roasted skin of a pig. Frying melts most of the fat from the pork rind...
- GribenesGribenesGribenes or grieven are crisp chicken or goose skin cracklings with fried onions, a kosher food somewhat similar to pork rinds. Gribenes are a byproduct of schmaltz preparation....
, goose or chicken cracklings in Jewish cuisine