Crisp bits of bacon or duck skin cooked until dark and golden, cracklins are a delicious addition to corn bread or salads. Free-range chicken skin or guinea hen skin are also options.–Frank Stitt
LC Okay, So What Do I Do With Cracklins? Note
You there—the one with the drool starting to pool on your keyboard from the very notion of these crisp cracklins that are just as ungodly rich as you’re imagining. You may be wondering, okay, so what do I do with cracklins aside from just standing there at the stove and cramming them into my piehole? Chef Frank Stitt, a born and bred Southerner who just happens to be an alum of Alice Water’s Chez Panisse and the recipient of countless awards, plops these very cracklins in his corn bread batter. We figure he ought to know. And, of course, snitching cracklins straight from the skillet is always an option. Mind you, these are different than the fried rind of pork, which you find packaged across the country. (And in as many as 14 different flavors in Alabama. We know. We counted.) These are a touch more refined, if you will. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to be restrained.
Cracklins Recipe
Ingredients
- Slab bacon (or substitute duck skin), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
- 1. Place the bacon or duck skin and just enough cold water to cover in a heavy skillet or saucepan and cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered, the water has evaporated, and the cracklins are crisp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
- 2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cracklins to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve the remaining fat to make corn bread. [Editor’s Note: Or to make home-fried potatoes. Or fried eggs. Or, well, lots of things.]
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