Crispy Cracklings

Nothing beats chicken skin.There's something about the crunchy, texture or melt in your mouth buttery flavor.It's not only the most prized piece of the chicken but now the most used. Chicken skin is enjoying a resurgence in tasty recipes.It's no longer bad for you. It's good.

Chicken skins were the subjects of a major article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The article, written by Times newcomer, Sarah DiGregorio, explores the new found popularity of crackling , the crisped part of the skin on chicken (or pork). Chicken crackling is nothing new.It has been around in Philippine, as well as Japanese and Jewish cuisine where it is known as gribenes. For centuries cultures who often use poultry also utilize the birds' skins. It is usually deep fried and eaten as a snack instead of a main dish,as with the Filipino dish chicharon manok.

Chefs all over the US are getting creative with it. New York City Chef Ilan Hall has a GLT sandwich , gribenes served with lettuce and tomato that resembles a BLT. The Philadelphia chef, Mitch Prensky, owner of the restaurant Supper, puts them in his spaghetti carbonara and Ruben sandwiches. The skins provide crunch and texture as well as flavor. Southern chefs know how to do chicken skin right. Sean Brock, executive chef at Charleston South Carolina's Husk and McCrady's marinates then in buttermilk then smokes and deeps fries them. They are then served with a hot sauce and a honey dip. He also makes a rabbit terrine with them as well as enveloping that Southern classic chicken and dumplings with sheets of skin.

Nothing beats crispy, crackly chicken skin. It is one of the tastiest parts of the chicken and the most flavorful.It's no wonder that chefs are now making it their number one ingredient and dish!

Dedicated to my own little chicken skin lover Sparkey . Any bird was her favorite but she loved chicken the best. May she and her brother, Puff, enjoy them forever.....