5 tips for crispy chicken skin
Nothing is sadder than spending hours in the kitchen making your favorite chicken dish, only to end up with limp skin. Crispy chicken skin is the holy grail, and this is how you achieve it.
Dry
The most important thing for achieving perfectly crispy chicken skin is that the chicken skin is dry. Dry skin gets crispier, so always pat it dry with some kitchen paper.
Even better is to take the chicken out of its packaging and put it uncovered in the fridge. Preferably overnight, but an hour will also get things well on their way.
Sprinkle the skin with a very thin layer of salt. The salt draws moisture out of the skin; when this dries again, it creates a layer of salt that makes the chicken even crispier. You can also mix some baking powder into the salt; this helps with drying and doesn’t add any flavor.
Skin on fleek
It’s also important to cook the skin separately from the meat. Loosen the chicken skin by carefully sliding a spoon between the skin and the meat.
With a whole chicken you do this best with a tablespoon. If you’re dealing with smaller pieces such as thighs or drumsticks, use a smaller spoon. This is also your chance to tuck butter under the skin, preferably seasoned with thyme, rosemary, pepper and salt, and lots of garlic.
After this process, pull the skin tight again, because if it’s crumpled, it won’t get properly crispy. If necessary, trim the excess skin from chicken thighs. In any case, make sure there is nothing on top of (oven) or underneath (pan) the skin so that the entire surface can become crispy undisturbed.
High temperature
Slow-cooked chicken skin—ever seen that on a menu? No, because you get crispy skin through high temperatures. If you’re cooking your chicken in the oven, preheat the oven to its highest setting and lower the temperature slightly once the chicken goes in.
Cooking chops in a pan? Let the pan get really hot before adding the chicken; this alone makes a world of difference.
Leave it alone
This is a difficult one, but for the best results you really do need to leave the chicken alone for a while. If you’re searing chicken in a pan, it can take up to five minutes to achieve the ultimate crisp factor.
Will you turn the chicken over during that time? Then you risk tearing the skin. The chicken needs time. Take a sip of wine and wait patiently.
Basting
Going for an oven preparation? Then you can get a little more involved in the process. Spoon the moisture and fat from the roasting dish back over the chicken to make the skin extra crispy. Do this every fifteen minutes for the best result.
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