Duck Fat Potatoes

a bowl of roast potatoes, topped with rosemary and salt flakes.

5 from 1 vote

Crispy and golden on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, duck fat potatoes are an essential part of any roast dinner – or a perfect side dish for any meal! Learn how to cook the best roast potatoes with maximum crisp and crunch, every time.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

1.5 kg potatoes good quality, roasting or 'all-rounder' potatoes like Dutch Cream, Desiree, King Edward, Sebago, Yukon Gold, Russets or Maris Piper.
4 tablespoons duck fat 60ml
salt

Optional

rosemary to add to the cooking water or roasting pan.
garlic cloves to add to the cooking water or roasting pan.

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 220°C/428 F.

Par-boil the potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks of 4-5cm width. Keep the sizes as uniform as possible, for even cooking.
Add the potatoes to a large pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Generously salt the water and add rosemary and/or garlic (optional). Bring the water to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes, until the outsides of the potatoes have softened but the insides are still raw and firm.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Dry the hot pot and return the potatoes to steam-dry for 1-2 minutes to remove excess moisture.
Gently shake the potatoes in the pot (or colander) to rough up the edges of the potatoes for a crispy exterior. This can also be done with a fork, until the edges are "fluffed" up.

Heat the duck fat

When the potatoes have almost finished par-boiling, spoon the duck fat into a large, heavy based roasting pan. Place the tray into the pre-heated oven to become smoking hot.

Roast

Using oven mitts, carefully remove the tray containing the smoking hot oil from the oven. Gently place the potatoes onto the roasting tray, using a fork or tongs to turn them, coating them with the duck fat. The fat should sizzle as the potatoes hit the pan.
Ensure that the potatoes are arranged in a single layer, with space between.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the potatoes every 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Season with salt flakes and serve immediately, while hot.

Video

Notes

Potatoes – different varieties of potatoes vary, encompassing a range of sizes, textures and starchiness. This means that not all varieties of potatoes are suitable for roasting. For a crispy outside and fluffy middle, choose a “floury”, all-purpose potato variety with moderate amounts of starch and moisture. In Australia, Dutch Cream, Desiree, King Edward or Sebago are all perfect for roasting. Elsewhere, Yukon Gold, Russets or Maris Piper are a great option. Peel the potatoes before parboiling; potato skins won’t crisp as nicely.
Parboil the potatoes to create ultra-crispy potatoes. To prep ahead, you can cool the parboiled potatoes and keep them in the fridge for 1-2 days before roasting.
Add some garlic and rosemary to the roasting tray (or into the cooking water when par-boiling) for extra flavour.
Remove as much moisture as possible from the potatoes before roasting. Drain the parboiled potatoes well and leave them in the colander or the hot (dry) cooking pot for 1-2 minutes to dry before roughing up the edges.
Don’t overcrowd them – use a large enough roasting tray to spread the potatoes into a single layer, with space in between each potato. If the potatoes are crowded together, they will steam instead of roast and won’t become crispy. They should sizzle when hitting the tray.
Try to cut the potatoes uniformly, so that they finish cooking at the same time. Don’t make them too small, or the insides won’t be as fluffy.
Make sure the oven is fully heated and the duck fat smoking hot before adding the potatoes to the roasting tray. Otherwise, the potatoes will act like sponges and soak in the fat, making them mushy.
Use a pair of tongs or a large spatula to flip the potatoes every 10-15 minutes while roasting, to ensure they are crisp all over.
The potatoes are cooked through when they can be pierced with a fork with minimal resistance through the middle.
To double the recipe – this recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd. But use two trays to ensure the potatoes are not crowded together. If you have a smaller oven, the cooking times may increase slightly.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the potatoes being divided into 6 serves. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the potatoes.
This recipe is made using Australian metric cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition