Crisp poultry skin

Why

Poultry skin is a thin layer of collagen and water with fat beneath it: until the water has evaporated from the surface it cannot brown, and rendered fat and juices trapped under it make it soggy again. That is why the skin is salted ahead and left to dry in the fridge for at least 12 hours; salt draws moisture to the surface, where it evaporates, and America's Test Kitchen adds baking powder to the salt, whose alkalinity dries the skin further and speeds browning, whereas bicarbonate of soda leaves a bitter aftertaste. The fat needs a way out: loosened skin, holes over the fatty parts and a gentle start skin side down in a cold pan render it before the skin browns. Steam from vegetables or liquid in the roasting tin, a lid, foil and basting with pan juices make the skin soggy again, so in a braise such as coq au vin the skin will not stay crisp and is browned mainly for flavour and rendered fat. Crisp skin says nothing about doneness: poultry is cooked only at 74 °C in the thickest part (see the Internal temperature of meat card).

How to do it

• Do not rinse poultry; pat the skin dry with kitchen paper and throw the paper away at once (see the Raw poultry and cross-contamination card).
• Salt the skin, for a whole chicken with about a teaspoon of baking powder, not soda; leave it 12 hours or more on a rack on the bottom fridge shelf, loosely covered, the cover not touching the skin.
• Gently loosen the skin from the meat of the breast and thighs with your fingers and prick it several times with a skewer over the fatty parts so the fat can run out.
• Roast on a rack or in a tin without vegetables or added liquid, uncovered; towards the end you can briefly raise the heat or switch on the grill and watch the skin.
• Put thighs or duck breasts with scored skin skin side down in a cold pan, heat gradually and carefully pour off the rendered fat until the skin is golden and crisp.
• Measure the temperature in the thickest part, poultry is done at 74 °C; let it rest without foil so the skin does not soften in the steam.

If it goes wrong

Finish rubbery skin: put the meat skin side up under a hot grill or in the hottest possible oven and watch until it blisters; in a braise, better remove the skin and crisp it separately in a dry pan. If the skin is already dark while the meat inside has not reached 74 °C, cover it loosely with foil and finish the meat at a lower temperature. Next time render greasy skin longer over gentler heat.