Techniquebeginnerdraft

Starting cold (duck skin, bacon)

Also searched as: cold pan, frying duck, frying bacon, cold-pan start

In short: Put fatty meat skin side down in a cold pan and heat it slowly. The fat runs out and the skin turns thin and crisp.

Picture it

Like candle wax over a low flame: it melts calmly and runs out instead of charring on the outside.

What happens

The slowly rising heat melts the fat under the skin before a crust forms on the outside. Only at the end is the heat turned up.

Sequence · Step 1 of 5

Score the skin in a diamond pattern without cutting into the meat.

All steps as a list

Score the skin in a diamond pattern without cutting into the meat.
Salt and put skin side down in a cold pan.
Render the fat over medium to low heat for 10–15 minutes.
Pour off the fat now and then.
At the end turn up the heat until the skin is crisp, then cook briefly on the meat side.

Related entries

Sources · 1