Duck Fat Potatoes
These Duck Fat Potatoes are deliciously crunchy on the outside but pillow soft on the inside. Watch people fight over this side dish!
Ingredients
- 2 kg large to medium potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters) (NOTE 1)
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling with the potatoes)
- 1 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda) (NOTE 2)
- 200 gm duck fat (NOTE 3)
- 2 tbsp cornflour (or cornstarch, plain. all-purpose flour)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 stalk rosemary
- 5 cloves garlic (smashed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F) or 200°C (390°F) for fan-forced ovens. Wash and peel the potatoes and chop them into quarters, or if they're very large, chop them into 6 pieces. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and pour enough water to cover them by 1 inch, then add in the bi-carb soda and salt.
- Place the saucepan over high heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to medium and boil for 8 to 10 minutes. The potatoes should be tender on the outside but not fully cooked inside (a little firm). If it's too tender, they'll break into little pieces when it's time to shake them.
- Meanwhile, pour the duck fat into a large, deep steel tray and place it in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are done, place them in a large colander to drain the water. Leave them in the colander for 5 minutes. The steam will help dry out the potatoes so they'll be extra crispy when roasted.
- Transfer the potatoes back into the saucepan (should be dry) along with the flour and salt. Place the lid on the saucepan and give it a good shake until the potatoes form rough edges.
- Carefully remove the tray with the duck fat from the oven. Using tongs, place potatoes in a single layer, then turn them over so that most of the potatoes are covered in fat. You don't need to space them out too much, just make sure they're not touching.
- Roast the potatoes for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes, but turn them every 20 minutes for even cooking. In the last 15 minutes of roasting, smash the garlic using a side of a meat cleaver, or the bottom of a mug and cut the rosemary stalks into 4 pieces. Scatter the garlic and rosemary with the potatoes and continue to roast.Serve immediately for that irresistible crunch because sadly, these potatoes don't have the same wow factor when reheated. The crispy crust becomes a little rubbery and chewy.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Potatoes - I used cheap all-rounder large white brushed potatoes. Starchy or all-rounder potatoes work best (not waxy potatoes). Desiree, Dutch Cream, Maris Piper, or Russet potatoes are excellent choices.
(NOTE 2) Bi-carb soda - Helps to tenderise the potatoes when boiling. This is optional and you can leave it out if preferred.
(NOTE 3) Duck fat - You can use duck fat rendered from a previous duck roast or store-bought duck fat. I had none on hand, so I used store-bought duck fat, which I found sold near the cooking oils. Some supermarkets also sell duck fat in their chilled section, usually near poultry meat.
I've used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 591mgPotassium: 1423mgFiber: 8gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 17IUVitamin C: 67mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 3mg