Duck-Fat Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary
Crisp golden potatoes are probably the one vegetable accompaniment that everyone loves – no matter what shape or form they come in. While the garlic and rosemary certainly add to the flavour of this dish, it is the duck fat that really makes it stand out. Just one taste and you’ll be hooked.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 6 large all-purpose potatoes (e.g. desiree or sebago)
- 160 g duck fat, at room temperature (5¾ oz; 2/3 cup)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 16 – 18 thyme sprigs
- 8 – 10 young rosemary sprigs or sprig tips, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) lengths
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Scrub the potatoes under cold running water and pat dry. Put them on a chopping board, flattest side down, and cut horizontal slits into the potato, spacing each cut about 5 mm (¼ inch) apart. Take care not to cut all the way through – you want the slices to stay connected at the bottom of the potato.
- Arrange the potatoes on the prepared tray. Brush all over with some of the duck fat, including the bottoms, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the slices start separating. Brush the potatoes again with duck fat, making sure some of it drips down between the slices. Gently separate the slices, if necessary, and insert garlic slices and sprigs of thyme and rosemary in between.
- Return the tray to the oven and bake for a further 30 – 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp on the edges. Serve immediately, while the potatoes are at their crispest.
As seen in my fourth book More Please! — recipe by Manu Feildel, photography by Rob Palmer, published by Murdoch Books Australia.
