Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes

These duck fat potatoes are so crispy that they make a rustling sound whenever they are touched or moved. They are the most perfect side-dish for any meal. Since it takes about an hour in the oven for them to achieve this crisp deliciousness, I’d have another slow-cooked main such as a simple roast chicken thigh at the same time, so that I can justify the long time this sits in the oven :p

Related Recipe:
Rendered Duck Fat Recipe
See Also:

Duck fat (goose fat) has a high smoking point, which helps roast potatoes to crisp well. It also gives a richer depth of flavour to any food it is cooked in. You can always substitute duck fat with extra-virgin olive oil, but using duck fat is a premium treat to have.

Duck Fat Potatoes Recipe

I made my own rendered duck fat oil, because my mum frequently makes Sichuan vegetable duck soup and discards the duck skin. So the ingredient is literally free for me. Check out the step-by-step picture recipe to making rendered duck fat here.

Store-bought Duck Fat
If you don’t want to make your own duck fat, you can buy ready-made duck fat online from iherb.com (Disclosure: affliate link when you click here and at the picture above. Get up to 10% off when you use code WIF026 with your iHerb order).

3 tips for making perfectly crisp roast potato using duck fat:

Duck Fat Potatoes Recipe
Tip 1: After parboiling the potatoes to soften them, shake up the potatoes so that its edges are roughened and fluffy as shown above. The imperfect surface are the parts that crisp best.

Duck Fat Potatoes Recipe
Tip 2: The duck fat I’m using is solidified since it’s kept in the fridge. That doesn’t matter, because duck fat thaws easily at room temperature. Now if the duck oil is hot when they are coated with the potatoes, it helps the potatoes to crisp even better. So I’d add the duck fat in the casserole during the preheat oven stage, and thereafter coat the potatoes in the hot oil.

Duck Fat Potatoes Recipe
Tip 3: Halfway through the cooking process (which is also the same time to add the aromatics; adding them earlier will burn them), use a fork to gently press on the potato flesh. Again the roughened parts will crisp up nicely.

Aromatics for Duck Fat Potatoes
Simple aromatics (rosemary, thyme, garlic) enhances the flavour of the baked potatoes.

Duck Fat Potatoes Recipe

Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes Recipe

You can always substitute duck fat with extra-virgin olive oil, but using duck fat is such a premium treat to have!

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams baby potatoes (use ‘hard’ potatoes such as Brastagi)
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) duck fat (goose fat) use home-made or store-bought
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • salt & black pepper to taste

(A) Aromatics

  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 cloves garlic slightly bruised
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

  1. Prep Potatoes. Scrub potatoes with a hard bristle brush until clean & cut them into quarters. Add potatoes and 1 tsp salt to a small pot with enough water to cover them. Boil for 10 minutes or until slightly softened. Drain potatoes in a colander. Shake or toss the potatoes until their surface is rough and fluffy, while still keeping them intact.
  2. Cook Potatoes. Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F) with the duck fat. Then very carefully coat the potatoes thoroughly in the hot duck oil using a spatula. Arrange the potatoes one layer in a roasting pan, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 200°C (392°F) for 30 minutes. Take out the roasting pan and gently press each piece of potato flesh with a fork to create new fluffy surface. Add (A) Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are perfectly golden & crisp.