Step 1

Put the skin, onions and salt in a large NONSTICK saute pan over low heat. The fat will begin to melt immediately and the onions with start to sweat. Stir every so often with a rubber spatula. Once the fat melts and the skin begins to brown, your schmaltz is ready! This took me about 15-20 minutes.

Step 2

Drain the schmaltz into a cup and it is ready to use.

Step 3

To make gribenes, put the skin and onions back in the pan after draining the schmaltz and cook over medium-low until the skin is crispy and the onions and caramelized. About 30-40 more minutes. Make sure you skin is in very small pieces or the onions will be ready before it is crisp. Finish with more salt if needed.

Step 4

Version two: You can also cook just the chicken skin alone first, then drain the schmaltz and add in the onions and finish cooking. This will lead to a lighter color schmaltz!