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Duck Fat Potatoes - the world's crispiest, BEST Roast Potatoes!

Recipe video above. Duck Fat Potatoes are without a doubt the BEST crispy roast potatoes in the world!! A potato side that's served in fine dining restaurants, potatoes roasted in duck fat have an incredible thick, golden brown crust that's unbelievably crunchy in a way that you will never be able to replicate using oil. And it's a pure, clean flavour that's unlike cooking with other animal fats.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6 - 8 people
Calories: 302 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Par boiling:
  • 1.75-2kg/ 3.5-4lb potatoes , medium to large, Sebago or Dutch Creams (Aus), Yukon Gold or Russet (US), Maris Piper (UK) (Note 1)
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp semolina (Note 2)
  • 1.5 tsp salt , kosher salt
Roasting:
  • 200g/ 7oz duck fat (or Goose Fat, Note 3)
Serving, optional:
  • 2 tsp rosemary , roughly chopped
  • sea salt flakes

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Peel the potatoes, then cut into 7.5cm / 3" pieces (Note 4).
  2. Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F (230°C fan).
Par Boiling & Roughing up:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add 1 tbsp salt then potatoes in a large pot of boiling water. Boil 10 minutes.
  2. Drain potatoes well.
  3. Shake excess water out of pot, return turned off stove. Tip potatoes in then stand for 5 minutes to steam out excess water.
  4. Add 1.5 tsp salt and the semolina. Place lid on then shake the pot up and down vigorously 5 to 7 times to rough up the surface.
Roasting:
  1. Pour duck fat into heavy based metal roasting pan (not glass or ceramic, Note 5).
  2. Heat in oven for 5 to 7 minutes until it's shimmering and very hot with little wisps of smoke (Note 6)
  3. Working quickly and carefully, remove pan from oven.
  4. Transfer potato in (be CAREFUL!), turn to coat in fat then arrange cut face down.
  5. Roast for 25 minutes. Turn potatoes, roast 15 minutes. Turn again, then roast 10 to 15 minutes until deep golden and super crunchy.
  6. Transfer to warm serving bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and rosemary, serve immediately!

Notes

  • Why this method makes the crunchiest roast potatoes ever:
  • Potatoes - use starchy or all rounder potatoes, not waxy potatoes.
  • Semolina - a coarse ground yellow wheat that's used for making (amongst other things) pasta. Secret ingredient for extra crunch! It's the perfect size to "meld" into the coating of the potatoes so you can't taste it separately but you get the benefit of the extra crunch. If you can't find it, leave it out. There's really no substitute - even fine ground cornmeal is too coarse (I've tried). Don't worry, it's like that extra little finishing touch - but I've made duck potatoes plenty of times without (and 99% sure most restaurants do too!
  • Fat - Goose fat is just as good as duck fat, just not as widely used. To make the crunchiest potatoes using oil, use this recipe: Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes.
  • Cutting - I cut large potatoes into 3 pieces and medium potatoes in half. You want large pieces that can stand up to the required roasting time!
  • Roasting pan - recipe does work in more flimsy roasting pans (I've used some in the past) but it works better with heavy metal roasting pans that retain a lot of heat. Ceramic and glass pans not recommended - they usually don't withstand the high temperature (can shatter).
  • Oil hotness - test by throwing in pinch of potato, should vigorously sizzle.
  • Re use duck fat - you should have around half the duck fat left in the pan. To reuse, strain out potato bits, then allow to cool scrape into jar. Refrigerate for months. Just be mindful it will be a bit salty.
  • Adapted from a Goose Fat roasted potatoes recipe made famous by Nigella Lawson. I choose to use Duck Fat because it's more popular and more accessible to me.
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 1/2 the duck fat is remaining in the pan.
  • Roasting in duck fat creates a far thicker, superior crunchy crust that stays crunchy
  • Par boiling then roughing up the surface creates more surface area which means a thicker, better crunchy crust
  • Semolina is coarse enough to add a subtle extra crunch yet fine enough to "meld" into the crust of the potatoes so you can't separately identify them
  • Preheating the oil essential provides an effect like deep frying - instant contact of potatoes with hot oil = better crust!

Nutrition Information

Calories 302cal (15%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 17mg (6%) Sodium 608mg (25%) Potassium 1093mg (31%) Fiber 7g (28%) Vitamin A 13IU (0%) Vitamin C 30mg (33%) Calcium 84mg (8%) Iron 9mg (50%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6- 8 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 302

% Daily Value*

Calories 302cal 15%
Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 608mg 25%
Potassium 1093mg 23%
Fiber 7g 28%
Vitamin A 13IU 0%
Vitamin C 30mg 33%
Calcium 84mg 8%
Iron 9mg 50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.