PORK SCRATCHINGS
A most steadying nibble.
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Spread a layer of sea salt on a plastic tray, or anything that won’t react with the salt. Lay the skin on top and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Leave in the fridge for 5 days.
  2. When its time is up, remove the skin from the fridge and soak overnight in cold water. Rinse in clean water. Thoroughly dry with a clean tea towel and lay it in a baking pan. Cover with duck fat, then cover the tray with foil. Cook in a medium oven for 2½ hours. As with all things cooking, keep an eye on it.
  3. Take it out of the oven and allow to cool, smearing it with the solidifying duck fat. At this point you can keep it in the fridge until your next cocktail party, or a frail moment when you are in need of such nourishment.
  4. When such a moment arrives, place a rack on a baking pan, then lay your skin on top. Again put into a medium oven, in which it should slightly puff up into a sheet of golden, crispy joy (be careful not to brown it, as this is bitter and sad). Now remove from the oven and allow to cool. Place the crispy skin on a board and chop it with a heavy knife. It should break up into pieces. Serve.
  5. A word of warning, though: with fragile dental arrangements, eat with caution.