Chicken Thighs in Schmaltz Signal Fall Cooking Shift

Thursday night in kitchens across the city, the scent of seared chicken and rendered schmaltz has become a marker of early autumn. A new recipe, now circulating among home cooks, calls for bone-in chicken thighs browned in chicken fat, served with a salted cucumber yogurt. The dish has drawn attention for its use of schmaltz, a traditional ingredient with roots in Ashkenazi Jewish cooking.

At Essex Market on Saturday afternoon, several shoppers paused over the poultry counter, asking about thighs and chicken fat. “People are asking for schmaltz by name again,” said Daniel Lee, a butcher at the market for over a decade. Cooks cite the rendered fat’s ability to crisp chicken skin and infuse flavor, especially as evenings cool and heartier meals return to dinner tables.

The recipe’s side—a salted cucumber yogurt—adds a tangy contrast to the richness of the chicken. Yogurt-based sauces are common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, but the addition of kosher salt and thin-sliced cucumbers reflects a cross-cultural approach. At Sahadi’s in Brooklyn, staff said plain yogurt and Persian cucumbers have moved quickly this week.

With the city’s farmers’ markets offering the last of summer cucumbers and the poultry supply steady, the meal is practical for weeknight cooking. Some home cooks are adapting the dish for Rosh Hashanah gatherings next month. Others mention it as a welcome alternative to heavier stews as temperatures drop but before winter sets in.