RECIPE: Duck Fat French Fries
National French Fry Day is July 19th, but this recipe is winter comfort food. Duck fat fries are a special treat, beloved among chefs. They’re a great accompaniment to grilled meat, roasted chicken, and yes, duck. In this recipe the fries are pan baked, resulting in a crisp duck fat crunch and an aromatic blend of roasted garlic and herbs. If you prefer to deep fat fry, the recipe is below. This oven-baked recipe is from Kita Roberts of the Girl Carnivore blog. Read Kita’s full post here. She calls the fries by their French name, frites (freet, French for “fries”). We really like her added touches of truffle oil and rosemary, and the flavorful aïoli dip (that’s garlic mayonnaise—see more uses for aïoli here). Double the batch and use it on sandwiches, vegetables (including crudités), potato chips and other dippables and spreadables. Ingredients For 4 Servings For The Potatoes 1. PREHEAT the oven to 450°F. Toss the sliced potatoes in a dish with the duck fat, reserving 2 tablespoons of fat. Season liberally with salt. 2. RUB 2 baking sheets with a thin layer of the reserved duck fat. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheets in a single layer. 3. BAKE for 25-30 minutes until golden and crunchy, flipping the fries and rotating the pans halfway through cook time. Meanwhile… 4. MAKE the aïoli. Whisk the mayo, mustard and Worcestershire together in a small bowl. Drizzle the truffle oil, chopped rosemary, rosemary salt and pepper over top. Set aside. When the fries are removed from the oven… 5. TOSS with truffle oil and season with the chopped roasted garlic, herbs and rosemary salt. Allow the fries to cool for a few minutes. Serving with the aïoli. D’Artagnan, specialist in duck products, offers these tips to make your deep-fat fries—fried in any type of fat—the best. People who cook ducks and geese typically render the fat and freeze it for future use. Those who don’t cook and render can buy rendered duck fat. Check your specialty food store, or fine butcher, or order online from D’Artagnan or other e-tailer. |
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Pure duck fat, usually from Moulard ducks, has a silky mouthfeel, subtle flavor, and a high smoke point. The smoke point makes duck fat perfect for high-heat cooking. Chefs consider it the best animal fat for cooking, and it enhances the flavor of anything it touches—including eggs, potatoes and other vegetables, as well as meat and poultry. While it may sound like a cholesterol orgy, there are actually health benefits to duck fat. The main difference between chicken, turkey and duck fats is that duck fat contains more linoleic acid, while chicken and turkey fats contain a higher amount of polyunsaturated fats. Duck and goose fat are more like olive oil than they are like butter. Check out good fats vs. bad fats. *You can buy Jacobson Rosemary Salt from their website or from Amazon. Or, you can mix dried rosemary with kosher salt or coarse sea salt. †If you don’t have smoked salt, you can make it. Or, substitute black lava salt (kala namak). Or simply use regular sea salt. You won’t get that hint of smoke, but the dip will still be delicious.
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