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After rendering chicken skin, a lot of the fat is released and you're left over with crispy pieces of chicken skin.

What is the remaining crispy skin composed of? Protein, fat, or both?

rumtscho
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NRaf
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  • Sorry, we cannot discuss why something is considered healthy or unhealthy. – rumtscho Mar 19 '19 at 08:45
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    This question refers to the healty/unhealty information, but is asking what does chicken skin consist of. Seems like an interesting question. We know flesh = muscle, containing fat and protein, etc.. but what is the actual composition of the skin? – MarsJarsGuitars-n-Chars Mar 19 '19 at 13:21
  • @NRaf edited slightly to ask about composition of skin at the end – MarsJarsGuitars-n-Chars Mar 19 '19 at 13:23
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    I do not think this question is actually off-topic; while it refers to off-topic details, it is primarily asking about the contents of chicken skin after rendering. To me, that seems perfectly on topic. – Incorporeal Logic Mar 19 '19 at 14:28
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    For reopening, the whole question should be whittled down further, to a point that to me looks like it is too trivial to make sense. It is important that the answers do not address at all the controversy which caused the OP to ask the question in the first place. This is why Iinitially decided to not do it and close instead. Since there are many people who seem to prefer it changed and open, I will make and edit and reopen. – rumtscho Mar 19 '19 at 14:45

2 Answers2

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Fried chicken skin (gribenes), what's left of the skin after you render off the fat (schmaltz), gets its crispiness from the skin's protein. However, there is still a lot of fat coating and within the skin. When you crunch into it, there is still a "juicy" mouthfeel of telltale greasiness. The protein provides structure, but carries plenty of fat with it.

Similar phenomenon can be observed with chicharróns and pork rinds (fried pig skin).

Erica
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Chicken skin is mainly... skin cells?

The epidermis – the outermost tissue itself consisting of three separate layers of cells.

The dermis or corium – the middle tissue.

The hypodermis – the innermost layer or tissue.

So I'd say protein.

Source: http://www.poultryhub.org/physiology/body-systems/integumentary-surface-of-the-bird/

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Luciano
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