Crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside – these roast potatoes cooked in duck fat are the perfect side dish for your next meal!
There is really nothing quite as satisfying as a perfect, crispy roast potato which, when executed well, can turn a humble side dish into the star of the meal. In a dish as simple as this one, picking the best ingredients you can will make all the difference. A simple russet potato, bathed in rich duck fat and roasted to perfection is the perfect example of the incredible alchemy that is cooking!
Duck fat, your secret weapon to great potatoes!
The secret to these potatoes lies in the duck fat. In recent years duck fat has become more and more popular and it is relatively easy to find in most supermarkets. Besides the delicious flavour, another good reason to add duck fat to your repertoire of cooking fats is that it is one of the healthiest animal fats. Compared to other animal fats, duck fat has significantly lower amounts of saturated fats, around 30%. For comparison, butter is around 50% saturated fat. As a result, duck fat is higher in unsaturated fat making it a good alternative.
The flavour of duck fat is rich but not overly ducky. Unlike lard which can have a strong pork flavour, duck fat used in moderation won’t make your dish taste like duck. It has a high smoke point making it an excellent choice for roasting or frying. Solid when cold, it is soft at room temperature and melts in warm conditions. Its subtle flavour enhances whatever you are cooking, and it can be used when sautéing, frying, or roasting most meats, poultry, and vegetables. Give it a try the next time you’re making roast potatoes and I know you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes: A good russet is the only potato you should be using for these roast potatoes. Potatoes fall into two categories: starchy and waxy. Starchy potatoes have a low moisture and sugar content and a high starch content. When boiled, the starch molecules swell to create light and fluffy potatoes that brown evenly on the outside. Waxy potatoes, such as red skin, yellow flesh, and fingerling potatoes, are higher in moisture and sugar meaning that they stay firm after cooking and don’t brown as evenly.
Duck Fat: See above! Obviously, this is my first choice here, but you can make this recipe without it. Just sub a cooking fat like extra virgin olive oil or other oil of preference.
How to Make Duck Fat Roast Potatoes
Two step cooking process
Using a two step cooking process really is necessary to create that perfect texture we are going for here: crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The potatoes are first par boiled in boiling water and then roasted in fat at a high heat. Par boiling the potatoes first and then bashing them around in the pot to rough up the edges creates even more surface area to turn into golden crunchy goodness.
(1) Par boil the potatoes
Peel the russet potatoes and cut them into large pieces – about 6 to 8 pieces per large russet. Do not cut the pieces too small or else they might fall apart after par boiling.
Fill a large pot with water and season it very generously with kosher salt. Seasoning the water will help the potatoes absorb the salt and will season them from the inside. Add the potatoes and turn the heat on high. When the water comes to a boil, let cook for 2 to 3 minutes. You don’t want the potatoes to cook all the way through, just around the edges.
After 3 minutes, remove the potatoes from the heat and quickly drain the water. Return the potatoes to the pot, cover with a lid, and bash them around for a few good shakes. Remove the lid and let sit uncovered to dry out slightly while you heat up the fat.
Preheat the duck fat
It is important to heat up your baking sheet with the duck fat before tossing on the par boiled potatoes; you want the potatoes to sizzle when they hit the fat!
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F / 204 deg C. Spoon the duck fat onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. When the duck fat is very hot then it’s ready to go.
(2) Roast the duck fat potatoes
When the duck fat is hot, carefully take the baking sheet out of the oven. Be careful to avoid spilling or sloshing the hot fat. Carefully tip the potatoes out onto the baking sheet and spread out so the pieces aren’t touching. Generously sprinkle the potatoes with kosher salt and return to the oven.
Leave the potatoes to roast until the bottoms are a deep golden brown, this will take around 20 to 25 minutes. From this point on you will want to take them out every 10 to 15 minutes and flip each potato piece onto an uncooked side. It isn’t really possible to overcook them so keep roasting and flipping until they are as golden and crispy as you would like, at least 1 hour and possibly a bit more.
When the potatoes are a deep golden brown on several sides and soft inside when pierced with a knife, they are done. These potatoes are best served as soon as they are done so I like to plan my meal service around this recipe. You can make them ahead and reheat later, but they will lose some of the crispiness and some of the lightness inside. Serve alongside the entrée of your choice and enjoy!
Serving & Pairing Suggestions
Roast potatoes are a classic side dish for a roast meal and pair well a dish like my Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb. I also like to serve them when I have a delicious sauce that needs something to soak it up such as my Chicken Thighs with Creamy Lemony Swiss Chard; the cream sauce is heaven poured over these duck fat roast potatoes!
More Potato Side Dishes
It you are looking for more delicious potato dishes, then check out my creamy Potatoes Dauphinoise!
