# Baking powder for crispy skin



## skull fish (Jun 15, 2012)

I read some where that either rubbing the skin with some baking powder or soda on surface skin, will help render out that fat... Any ideas? Or folk lore! ??
	

	
	
		
		



		
			





I'm a big fan of the brine method for flavor and moisture, still workin on the crispy aspect ... The grill maybe the finishing answer in the end. Lol


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## diggingdogfarm (Jun 15, 2012)

It's not folk lore, it's chemistry! :biggrin:
I use baking powder on poultry skin all the time, it changes the pH of the skin making it brown and crisp up better with a bubbly texture.
Adding an acid will counter the affects of the baking powder.

Here's a good explanation and comparison.........

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/...icken-wings-in-oven-not-fried-appetizers.html

~Martin


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## spoolinaz (Jun 15, 2012)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> It's not folk lore, it's chemistry!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good Read!


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## scarbelly (Jun 15, 2012)

Hey Martin thanks for the link - I had seen it a couple years ago and forgot where it was. Now I need to give it a shot.


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## skull fish (Jun 15, 2012)

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, will give it a try this weekend for the father's day feast. We are also big fans of the Cornell chicken recipe, this may work real well with the baking powder theory . I think the acid from the baste will react very cool the b. Powder, I'm going to make a light solution of powder and water, and baste the chicken skin and let it dry over night... We will see. Lol!


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## steelandsmoke (Jun 15, 2012)

I have used a combination of corn starch and flour with great results when baking only.


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## mneeley490 (Jun 15, 2012)

Yeah, I've heard the cornstarch theory, not baking powder. Haven't tried it myself, but wouldn't baking powder give the chicken skin a nasty flavor?


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## scarbelly (Jun 15, 2012)

mneeley490 said:


> Yeah, I've heard the cornstarch theory, not baking powder. Haven't tried it myself, but wouldn't baking powder give the chicken skin a nasty flavor?


According to the article - baking soda does leave a metallic taste but not the baking powder.  Will be giving it a test run soon


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## diggingdogfarm (Jun 15, 2012)

skull fish said:


> Awesome! Thanks for sharing, will give it a try this weekend for the father's day feast. We are also big fans of the Cornell chicken recipe, this may work real well with the baking powder theory . I think the acid from the baste will react very cool the b. Powder, I'm going to make a light solution of powder and water, and baste the chicken skin and let it dry over night... We will see. Lol!



It won't work with the Cornell recipe because of all the acid.
Don't use a lot of baking powder because it'll taste funky. it doesn't take much.
I tried baking soda long before I tried baking powder, it leaves a real funky soapy metallic like flavor.


~Martin


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## hooligan8403 (Jun 16, 2012)

I was considering getting a blow torch and crisping the skin that way at one point.


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## diggingdogfarm (Jun 16, 2012)

Hooligan8403 said:


> I was considering getting a blow torch and crisping the skin that way at one point.



I've tried that, but it gets quite tedious.

Something else that does help is drying the skin completely before cooking.
I have a hair dryer that I dedicate only to that use, which is no problem because i don't have much hair anyway! LOL

~Martin


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## hooligan8403 (Jun 17, 2012)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> I've tried that, but it gets quite tedious.
> Something else that does help is drying the skin completely before cooking.
> I have a hair dryer that I dedicate only to that use, which is no problem because i don't have much hair anyway! LOL
> ~Martin


Yeah its tedius torching most things but at the same time it should work. I havent had much issues with crispy skin though just read everyone else having issues and worried about it at first.


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## diggingdogfarm (Jun 17, 2012)

It's not difficult to get crispy skin, but the techniques mentioned above will help get it real crispy, which is the way I like it.

~Martin


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## adhira (Jun 25, 2012)

It is beneficial to use Baking powder or soda for crispy skin because baking powder helps draw out the moisture, so the skin gets crackling crisp in the oven.


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