Roast bird, albeit chicken, duck, turkey or quail; roast beast whether its beef, pork, venison, bear or lamb all have one thing in common – the pan drippings! An amazing concentration of flavor often used to give gravy its delicious flavor, or the importance of de-glazing the pan so as to not lose any of its precious offerings… the “essence” if you will. I hate to waste anything, let alone something so treasured! Every time I make a roast of “anything” or even purchase a rotisserie chicken, I always save the “essence” to use in a plethora of future recipes. Add some to any side dish, or to add an extra punch of flavor to marinades, soups, stews, casseroles… the possibilities are endless!
Luckily the process is the same for any “essence”. I am using a rotisserie chicken in this example, and as I continue to roast meats, I will add additional pictures and examples as they come.
** I may earn from qualifying purchases when you use the links on this page at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support. **
Whenever you make a roast of any kind, make sure to save the bones to make stock. (even if you buy a rotisserie chicken!) Then, drain the pan drippings into a jar or another suitable container and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Once the drippings have cooled, you can skim the fat off the top.
Next, scoop the gelatin (if you are lucky) or pour the liquid onto a fruit roll up dehydrator tray. I use my smaller Nesco Dehydrator for little jobs such as this. Try to break up the gelatin and spread it evenly around the tray.
Turn your dehydrator to 160 degrees F.
After an hour, turn over the “leather” so it will dry faster.
Check every 20 minutes. Once the “essence” is completely dry and crispy, break it up and place into your storage container. I use a half-pint jar and vacuum seal the jar with the food saver to keep the essence for a long period of time. You can put it into a food processor, or coffee grinder to make into a powder if you wish.
Store on a cool shelf away from light if possible. Use in anything that needs a boost of flavor. I recommend keeping the different types of meat “essence” separate as combining them may not give you the desired results!
Like what you see?
Use the Pintrist button to save this post for later.
Join the discussion on Facebook: Billfree Farms Presents: In my Kitchen