Duck Fat Home Fries

Cooking potatoes in duck fat transforms them from something ordinary to something extraordinary.

I had been wanting to cook potatoes in duck fat since falling in love with the French fries cooked in duck fat at  Tatooed Moosein Charleston.

But duck fat isn’t necessarily easy to find. I had heard that Whole Foods carries it, but I didn’t have any luck finding it there. I finally found some at Reid’s Fine Foods in Charlotte. And it was fresh duck fat, sold by the pound. A little on the pricy side at about $10 a pound, but it turns out that was a great price compared to online resources. An 11 ounce jar from Williams Sonoma will set you back $14.95. You can get Duck Fat slightly cheaper on Amazon.

I only bought half a pound and was able to make a huge batch of home fries with half of it.

Duck fat feels and looks a lot like vegetable shortening. Apparently it is wonderful when used in pie crusts but I haven’t tried that yet.

Duck fat is high in monosaturated fats and has less saturated fat than butter. It has a smooth texture, a mild but distinct flavor, and a high smoking point, making it suitable for everything from baked goods to roasting and frying.

To get nicely browned potatoes, there’s no better way than using a cast iron pan. If you don’t have one, they are a wonderful investment. You can often find old ones at flea markets or you can buy a new 12-inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet  on amazon for a reasonable price. They will last many generations and can be used to cook just about anything.

While the potatoes are cooking, don’t move them around too much. Let them get nice and brown on one side before flipping them. Add a little onion, salt and pepper, and maybe a few seasonings, and you have perfect home fries for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Or all three!

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