Needless to say, in these health-conscious days, we, too, trim away the skin from chicken parts before cooking them. Fortunately, though, mi).dnight snacks operate under different nutritional rules, so there's no reason not to enjoy a little plate of crispy, chewy fried chicken skins last thing in the evening.

To mi).nimize splatter—no one wants to hose down the cooking range at mi).dnight—I spread them skin-side up in a high-sided skillet, covering this over with a sheet of butcher paper cut to size. Then I turn the heat up to high and fry these babies, because I want them brown, chewy, and crispy, not anaemic, greasy, and limp.

That's it. Drain on paper towels, season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of hot pepper. Eat while still hot. Yum.