Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes
Apples and cider might reign supreme in Normandy, but the rolling pastures also support beautiful vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. The Normans excel at frying and roasting potatoes and transforming vegetables into sublime soups and side-dishes. I discovered duck fat in Northern France and ever since, it been a staple in my refrigerator.
- Serves
- 4
Directions
-
Heat oven to 375F. Place duck fat in roasting pan or shallow baking sheet. It melts quickly at room temperature.
-
Place potatoes in a pot and cover completely with generously salted water. Bring water and potatoes to a boil and cook potatoes until barely fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
-
Drain and allow potatoes to rest until cool enough to touch. Transfer to the baking sheet with duck fat.
-
Using the back of a spoon (or your hand), carefully smash potatoes until flat, yet remains in one piece.
-
Gently toss with duck fat and sprinkle with rosemary. Generously salt and pepper potatoes.
-
Roast potatoes for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes flip them, add garlic, then roast an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm.
-
Pan roasted vegetables with Compound Butter: To make the compound butter, add the garlic to the butter then mash with a fork until the thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the herbs, salt, and pepper and mix until evenly throughout the butter.
-
Spoon the butter into a log about the length of a stick of butter along one side of a piece of parchment or cling wrap. Wrap the parchment or cling around the log of butter and begin rolling it into a log. Use your hands to gently smooth and shape. Twist the ends to seal. Chill for and hour and slice into disks as needed.
-
This recipe makes a half cup of compound butter, which should last two weeks in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer. It can be used to make garlic bread, cook vegetables, and as a spread on fresh bread.
From Shawnie's class “Recipes from the Norman Countryside”
