Cooking with Duck Fat: The Topic

[FoodMan]

I roasted a duck this weekend and I ended up with about a cup of pure white duck fat. I've never used duck fat much before (I think I used it once to roast some potatoes, and once to make duck confit). So what do u use it for?? recipes that use duck fat to add a little "something extra" would be appreciated, as well.

Also, how long will it last in the fridge, stored air tight?

Thanks

FM

[ngatti]

Picture the penitentiary dining room. The prisoners are pounding the table and shouting in unison:

CONFIT! CONFIT! CONFIT!

You can freeze it till you acquire enough.

Nick

[Wilfrid]

Apart from potatoes, you can also fry eggs in it. Duck eggs ideally.

[Suzanne F]

I was once at a restaurant that used ONLY duck fat for all their sautéeing. Meats, poultry, fish, vegetables -- EVERYTHING. I guess as long as it's not highly spiced ...

[Heather]

The gourmet deli where I buy cheese sells jars of duck fat. I asked the proprietor what her customers use the fat for, and how much of it she sells. She said that she has a few customers who buy 10 or more jars of it at the one time, and use it to fill their deep-fryers--an exercise that costs more than $100 Aussie dollars. Apparently, they swear it makes the ultimate deep-frying medium.

[helen jackson]

I have used if to saute shallots with red cabbage, walnuts and spinach and then top it with a seared duck breast. It was heavenly - oil is just no comparison.

Yes roast potatoes in duck fat are divine.

[richw]

The only thing I've ever used rendered duck fat for is to pan-fry blocks of firm polenta in. It was tasty

[Sandra Levine]

Also, how long will it last in the fridge, stored air tight?

If your fridge is cold enough, it will last a long, long time.

Try this, an adaptation of L'Ami Louis' famous potato cake, paraphrased from Patricia Wells's book, Bistro Cooking.

Saute 2 large russet potatoes, sliced very thin, in a good dollop of duck fat for about 25 minutes, until there is some golden brown color on most of the slices. Press lightly into an 8 or 9-inch non-stick pan and finish in a oven pre-heated to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes or so, run some butter around the edge to facilitate unmolding and turn out into a serving plate. Sprinkle chopped parsley and garlic on top.

[torakris]

I have been on a quest for duck fat for a couple months now and have finally found it!

I picked up some duck legs as well, hoping to make a confit. When I came home and looked at the recipe it calls for 2kgs of duck fat! The jar I purchased had something 350g, it would cost me about $50 to get that much duck fat, so my question is:

Can you keep reusing it?

I am assuming for things like roasted potatoes, there wouldn't be any leftover.

(by the way can some one point me in the direction of the thread that talked about roasting potatoes in duck fat?)

Let's say I roast a duck and get 2 cups of fat, I then use this fat to make a duck leg confit, can I use the confit fat to roast potatoes, etc.?

Also could I add new rendered fat to my old fat?

I just found a wonderful supplier of meats in Tokyo, everything from various ducks (American and French), chickens ranging from the size of my palm up to turkeys, pigeons, kangaroo, ostrich, a 12 ft freezer just of lamb, etc, etc

They even had my Maladon Sea salt that I have been searching for!

Way off topic but I am very excited and can't wait to use my phyllo sheets!

[elyse]

Are you going to brush the phyllo with the fat?

[torakris]

Are you going to brush the phyllo with the fat?

Can you?

What would you fill it with then?

[Bux]

Duck and mushrooms? There's a Moroccan/north African meat pie that's usually made with pigeon. You sometimes see it in France. Look for recipes for pastilla, bistilla, b'stilla or something like that on google.

[g.johnson]

I use duck or goose fat for browning any red meat.

[Jason Perlow]

Fat Guy used duck fat to make his contest-winning potato latkes at the Beard House latke competition.

See:

Fat Guy in James Beard Latke Competition

[torakris]

Fat Guy used duck fat to make his contest-winning potato latkes at the Beard House latke competition.

See:

Fat Guy in James Beard Latke Competition

Those latkes sound incredible!

now to find matzoh in Japan, I had a hard enough time with the duck fat!

I did notice that he mentions that duck fat alone was too strong and so he mixed it with oil.

Is this just a particular case or should I use a half and half mixture when roasting meats/veggies?

Anything duck fat doesn't go with?

Edited February 3, 2003 by torakris (log)

[elyse]

Are you going to brush the phyllo with the fat?

Can you?

What would you fill it with then?

I don't know, it just sounded like a natural.

[Bux]

I did notice that he mentions that duck fat alone was too strong and so he mixed it with oil.

Is this just a particular case or should I use a half and half mixture when roasting meats/veggies?

We've generally had more goose fat that duck fat. I'm not sure which is more flavorful. Unless you find the flavor too strong, I would use it straight. Try it that way first or work your way into it slowly. In a country such as Japan where there are such subleties in flavor and texture, it might seem overwhelmingly to some. I don't know. In the Gascony region of France we had a sauce that was similar to bearnaise, but duck or goose fat replaced the butter.

[Jon Tseng]

I have been on a quest for duck fat for a couple months now and have finally found it!

I picked up some duck legs as well, hoping to make a confit. When I came home and looked at the recipe it calls for 2kgs of duck fat! The jar I purchased had something 350g, it would cost me about $50 to get that much duck fat, so my question is:

Can you keep reusing it?

Yup reusing positively recommended - just strain after each use to get the bitter burnt bits out

NB if you are a little short on fat for confit you can top it up with water to cover (this advice from a Roux Brothers book, so assume tis kosher)

Other uses: scallion pancakes!

cheerio

J

[blackduff]

Don't forget that goose or duck fat can be used when making Foie Gras. It's put into the canning jars before you insert the foie gras itself and then put on top before you close the jar.

Blackduff

[Matt Seeber]

i'll start an omlette with duck fat instead of butter. duck fat is so much better for you...

[eatingmike]

I roasted a duck tonight for the first time, and saved upwards of a cup of the rendered duck fat. I've read it's great for potato preparations. I thought I'd throw this one to the group... what's your favorite way to use rendered duck fat in cooking?

[pixelchef]

Braised Red Cabbage is a traditional Alsatian vegetable accompaniment to any poultry/fowl dish. And it's incredibly tasty:

Braised Red Cabbage

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons duck fat

2 medium onions, sliced

1 large red cabbage, cored, quartered, and cut into 1 /4-inch slices.

1 large Granny Smith or other tart green apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons. red currant jelly

Preparation:

Heat duck fat in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cabbage and apple, then pour in wine, vinegar, and caraway seeds, and bring to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat, and cook gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. About half way through cooking time, remove cover, allowing liquid to partially evaporate, so cabbage is fairly dry. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in jelly and serve.

[Jon Tseng]

SCALLION PANCAKES

(confit and roast spuds run close second)

[Jinmyo]

Roast potatoes and other roasted root vegetable things.

Fried eggs.

Sauteed mushrooms.

[Wilfrid]

Pommes Parmentier - parboil cubed potatoes, drain well and fry in duck fat until golden. Season and garnish with chopped parsley.