Our doctors would advise us that eating the skin is not in the best interest of our waist lines or our arteries. But a roasted bird fresh out of the oven? With the skin all golden and crispy? So hard to resist. Do you eat the skin?
Roast Chicken: In Praise of Crispy Skin
According to Harold McGee, food science expert, the skin on poultry is about 50% water, 40% fat, and the rest is connective tissue. In the heat of the oven, the connective tissues dissolve, the water evaporates, and the fat begins to render. What's left behind becomes wafer-thin and crispy.
Lot's of methods exist for getting crispy skin. Two of the most agreed upon seem to be getting the skin as dry as possible before cooking and then oiling it just before putting it in the oven. Air-drying means that there is less surface moisture to be evaporated before the water in the skin can start evaporating and the oil works as a heat conductor.
It's worth noting that not much of the fat from the skin actually penetrates into the meat (according to several of our cookbooks). The skin acts as a shield, holding moisture inside the meat and protecting it from the direct heat of the oven. So even if you don't end up eating it, leave the skin on during cooking for a more tender and juicy roast.
What's your favorite method for getting crispy skin?
Related: Which is Better: Vegetable Oil vs. Olive Oil?
(Image: Flickr member izik licensed under Creative Commons)
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Mmm - yes. Although my favorite bit is still the pygostyle.
view faith's profile
im picky about skin and fat. if its fried chicken (obviously) or crispy skin i will eat it.
however if its soft chewy skin... no way. the texture throws me off. i had some wings the other day and the sauce was delicious but i couldn't stand that chewy skin!
view erinpearce's profile
Skin = yum. When I was a kid, my parents would get/make fried chicken. I would only eat the skin, which annoyed my parents to no end.
view jyw's profile
I spent a memorable Thanksgiving with family friends who carefully removed the crisped skin from the breast of the bird and sliced it into pieces for serving on the platter. I've done the same ever since. Crispy skin is the such a treat.
2nding Erin, though. Chewy, pale skin is not good to eat.
view laila's profile
The best chicken skin comes from Versailles (a restaurant in LA) Garlic Chicken. Holy moley. Had last week for the first time in over a year. Garlicy, thin and crispy and insanley lemony. So good.
view chusmabilly's profile
Cooking a chicken on a rotiserie on the barbeque is the best way I know to have crispy skin 360 degrees around. You have to hurry, though, because as soon as you set it on a plate it starts to get soggy.
view aaakid's profile
Why eat the chicken only to leave the crispy skin behind?
view silverivy's profile
Don't think I've ever come as close to a Homer Simpson head-back-tongue-out-drooling moment as that pic of pope nose skewers. I must thank Anthony Bourdain's Christmas special for revealing that nugget to me.
view renata's profile
I agree Silver Ivy! Never in my life have I avoided the skin. It must be the most delicious part. I know a girl that peeled the crispy skin off roast duck. Madness! If you're going to do that, you might as well eat boiled meat.
view buda's profile
I roast chickens upright, beer-can-style, to maximize the skin-crisping. I usually get 3 to 4 meals out of one chicken, and the skin is always the first thing I eat. Yum!
view elkit's profile
My boyfriend leaves the skin on his plate whenever we eat chicken - I take the plates into the kitchen and eat it off his plate when he's not looking. I swear, I could eat whole meals of crispy chicken skin. Yum!
view fib's profile
Just thinking about how delicious it is... mmm.... *drool*
view cassielynn's profile
I rub my chicken generously with a mix of 3 parts paprika powder, 1 part garlic powder and half part cayenne/chilli powder.
Roast it @375F until cooked (depending on size of bird).
It will come out very crispy!
Then I like to drizzle fresh lemon juice over it and eat it with a crisp salad and a hunk of good bread for dipping in lemon & chicken juices. Yum!
http://sailingsybaris.spaces.live.com
view SailingSybaris's profile
I've had good luck with this technique: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2008/02/crisp-skinned-r.html#more
You lightly coat the chicken with a mixture of salt, pepper and baking powder, let it sit in the fridge overnight, then roast it at a high temperature. The skin gets nice and crispy and pleasantly salty.
view esmesbell's profile
Faith --
Pygostyle? Oh, you mean the Parson's nose! ;-)
(I grew up with a lot of English people!)
view mschatelaine's profile
I love eating the skin! I never save the best for last but I will save the skin as my last bite! :)
view witchbaby's profile