036 - Chicken Skin Roll (!!!!)

Readers, let me ask you a question. What’s your favorite place and time to get an idea?

Was it the moment just before bedtime? While taking a shower? Or was it during a communal trip?

For me, it’s on the toilet during Number 2.

*insert shocked emoji here*

Yes, when I do my ‘business’, I sometimes get crazy idea inside my head. And this time, it’s a no brainer. It’s utterly insane, and I’m sure this will make youth screaming in excitement and parents crying in agony.

CHICKEN SKIN ROLL.

Inspired by the famous Lobster Roll from Maine, and Pork Crackling, this thing is absolute game changer. The secret to create a rather lovely looking and lovely tasting chicken skin lays in the first part: Boiling. This will help release all the nasty scum that it’s left in the chicken skin, leaving it prime, pristine, and most of all, more able to withstand heat without curling too much.

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For 1 servings, you will need:

200 grams of chicken skin. Chicken skin is very cheap. I bought 250 grams of it for only IDR 6,000.- (that’s 50 cents US Dollar!!!)

1 Hot Dog bun

½ tsp of Salt

1 tsp of Black Pepper

1 tsp of Paprika Powder

2 tbsp of Corn Starch. If you want more awesome crunch, substitute with Potato Starch (It’s available at a large supermarket, such as G**L** at SCBD area)

2 cups of Water

3 tbsp of Cooking Oil

For the coleslaw

100 grams of Cabbage, shredded finely.

50 grams of Carrot, cut into matchsticks.

2 tbsp of Mayonnaise

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Black Pepper

½ Lemon. We’re using the juice only.

For the sauce

1 tbsp of Mayonnaise

1 tbsp of Spicy sauce/concoction. Wasabi, Tabasco, Sri Racha, Dua Belibis, use whichever fits your taste. I’m using Gochujang (Korean Spicy Chili Paste)

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Ready? Here We Go!

Step 1 – Cut your cabbage nice and finely if you haven’t done so. Peel the carrots and continue the process to yield the lovely ribbons.

Be careful with your hands, people

Easier to make ribbons, right?

Step 2 – Mix in the cabbage with the carrots, add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Mix it thoroughly. You can serve this directly, but for best tasting, leave it covered inside a fridge overnight.

You can't see it, but there's a Cabbage under there. Oh, i'm squeezing Lemons here.

Kewpie saving the day!

Salt

Pepper

Step 3 – Now let’s cook the chicken skin. Get a small pot, and boil the 2 cups of water. Give it a pinch of salt.

Skip the bullcrap, the water has been boiling for 2 minutes and there i am, putting salt into the water

Step 4 - Once boiling, put each and every piece of chicken skin in. Chicken skin is not actually pretty. Sometimes you see bits with blackened spots, or even feather roots still attached! The black spots can be removed easily by simply tearing it. Don’t worry about the feather either. The boiling will help make the removal process hell of a lot easier.

This is not exactly a pretty sight, eh?

Step 5 – Around 30 seconds – 1 minute after you put the chicken skin in, you will see that there is a white scum forming around the surface. Use a wired spoon (or in my case, measuring cup) and remove this. This is excess fat, and posed no use for the taste. Keep boiling it for another 2 minutes.

Scum appearing

Scum disappearing

Step 6 – After 2 minutes, strain the chicken skin, and proceed to wash it under clean, running, cold water. This will shock the chicken skin to stop the cooking process. And what are the odds? This process also helps you remove any leftover feather roots easily! After you finished cleaning everything, set it on paper towel to dry.

Step 7 – Season the chicken skin with salt, pepper, and paprika, and give it a good massage. Mehehehehehehe, Massage. Don’t worry; it won’t break the skin unless you’re going into R territory. Me? I’m keeping it PG-13 J

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Mixed seasoning

Apply liberally

Well seasoned!

Step 8 – Heat a nonstick pan and pour the cooking oil. Let it heat up on medium heat.

Step 9 – Pour the corn starch over the chicken. Ensure every part is covered. Shake off any excess.

Corn starch worked well with chicken skin!

Excess already shaken off on this picture

Step 10 – Once you see smoke coming out from the pan, place your chicken, GENTLY. Chicken skin is made of Fat. And when fat hits oil, it’ll most likely splatter. So always be safe when doing so! I always use the tray of my cooking pan as a shield, a la the movie 300. Cook this for around 2 minutes, checking often to see if it’s golden brown already. Once it’s golden brown, give it a flip, and do the same with the other side.

Watch the edges, careful not to burn it!

After the flip. I ended up doing multiple flip over a course of 40 seconds interval several times.

Step 11 – Once the skin is cooked golden brown, transfer it into paper towel to drain any excess oil. Meanwhile, toast your hot dog bun. Uhmm mmm, nothing feels better than a warm bun on a cold day!

If that's not beautiful, i don't know what is

Step 12 – Assemble. Bun – Coleslaw – Skin – Lime wedge (optional) - Sauce.

Bun

Coleslaw

The golden crunch

Lime for contrast!

Sauce!!!

Step 13 – Serve!

This roll tastes exactly how you imagine it to be; savory and crunchy. Adding lime wedges helped to counteract the savory and spicy taste, creating an even better sensation while eating.

It feels great to tell you how I come up with this original recipe and able to share it with you guys!

In interest of good health, please eat this sparingly. Also, it is best to serve this roll as soon as possible

Give it a go, and looking forward to see anyone of you try and cook this!

Peace

xx