Hot take: Leaving the skin on when breaking down poultry adds to the stock pot

Everyone peels it off, but I toss it in for extra richness... It makes a world of difference in flavor.

3 comments

3 Comments

Toss the skin in every single time, honestly. Everyone talks about flavor, but they skip how it changes the feel of the stock in your mouth. That extra fat from the skin gives it a richer, smoother body that you just don't get from bones alone. It coats your tongue in a good way, makes soups and sauces feel more like a full meal. Skipping it is like leaving a free flavor tool in the drawer.

kai_williams4d ago

Totally with you, @riley_hart. The skin adds a fat layer that changes everything. My stocks go from thin to rich and creamy when I include it. That mouthcoat thing is real, makes sauces stick to pasta better.

nancyhernandez4d ago

Last Thanksgiving, I tried leaving the skin on my turkey stock. It came out so fatty that I had to chill it and scrape off a thick layer of grease. That extra fat masked the delicate flavors from the bones and mirepoix. Now I roast the bones without skin for a clearer, more balanced broth. My vegetable soups taste cleaner when the stock isn't weighed down by poultry fat.