Chicken-Skin Garnish
I can't speak enthusiastically enough about this garnish — without it, the stewed-chicken-and-rice recipe lies flat, amateur; good but juvenile. The grassy, bracing astringent parsley, the burn of the shallot, the spark of the lemon, combined with the warm, crispy, fatty, salty "chicharron" of chicken skin, is like the one killer piece of jewelry worn with a little black dress, the thing that makes it clear that this is a "main stage talent" and not the personal assistant with the clipboard checking guests into the event.
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- ½pound chicken skin
- Kosher salt
- 2lemons, washed
- 8sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 2shallots, shaved paper-thin
Instructions
Step 1
Place the chicken skin between two lined sheet trays, and render in a 400-degree oven until all the fat has liquefied and you are left with crispy, delicious fried chicken skins. Save the fat. Remove the skins, and season with salt while still warm. Set aside.Step 2
Zest all the lemons into a small bowl, then cut the lemon in thirds and squeeze the juice into the same bowl, taking care to catch the seeds. Toss into this bowl the parsley, slivered shallot, a small spoonful of the rendered chicken fat and large pieces of the fried chicken skin. Season to taste.