Crisp and golden: the joys of chicken skin

Did you know that a certain fast-food chain churns out the best part(s) of 23 million chickens a year? That’s a whole lot of chook, as the Aussies would say. But then, our love affair with chicken seems to know no bounds.

In Ireland, we consume vast quantities of chicken meat – whole or in pieces, free range or not – every year. Of course, chicken farming has its critics, particularly those who claim that animal welfare is compromised by industrial production methods, but chicken regularly turns up on the weekly menus of most households.

So, what is it about chicken that makes it appealing to so many? Well, it’s the blandness really. Among carnivores at least, it’s hard to find any creature who won’t eat it. And it is this one-size-fits-all source of protein that makes it so appealing. Chicken goes well with almost anything, from rich, creamy sauces to fiery, chili-based ones, such as curries.

Nutritionally speaking, chicken is full of B vitamins, but I am conscious that I have always urged readers to avoid eating the skin – as suggested by most nutritionists – because of the association between saturated fats and heart disease. But these formerly sacrosanct rules of nutrition are now being questioned, with some nutritionists saying that it’s fine after all to eat saturated fats, in moderation of course. After years of sending out a very strong message that saturated fats and heart disease are linked, nutritionists are no longer unanimous on the issue, though they mostly agree that trans fats are never a good thing for health.

Clearly, the science of nutrition keeps changing as studies and research continue. Just look at the message on eggs: once they were a pariah for cholesterol-watchers; now it’s been shown that this view was all nonsense.

So the message from here is that a bit of chicken skin should be all right, though I admit I do still find it hard to break my old habit of saying no to it. The family is delighted, of course, and I no longer hen-peck my husband (excuse the pun) about it.

Which is why, in my first recipe, the chicken pieces are barely trimmed. The skin is left on, first to crisp up beautifully to a rich golden brown, and then, over a lower heat, to render, so it combines with the wine, garlic, herbs and lemon juice to form the most delicious sauce. This is how you make a creamy sauce without cream, and for me, that is reason enough alone to keep the skin on.

The wild rice salad that accompanies it was one of those fantastic experiments that somehow came right first time. With all that tahini, tamari and lemon, the dressing is certainly robust, but it’s a good foil for the creamy chicken. This salad is also sensational with salmon, simply grilled or fried on its own, or blitzed into fishcakes with some sesame oil, tamari, ginger, chili and chopped spring onions.

[ dkemp@irishtimes.com ]