Duck Fat Potatoes - Sticking To Pan?

I find when cooking with butter I have the same experience.  What always helps me is to combine both butter and oil and then I don't have that problem.  Maybe this will work for you.

Boy that reminds me I have a container of duck fat in my fridge.  I've been meaning to make potatoes with duck fat.  Do you par boil the potatoes first?  What other seasoning do you add?

 
I put mine on parchment (in the oven of course).  Nice and brown with just one quick turn.
Edited by chocdoc - 4/24/10 at 2:07pm

You let them get dark brown on the bottom and then flip them over.  Use a flexible spatula with a straight edge and get underneath.

I don't seem to have any problems with my 'taters sticking to the bottom of the frypan as long as I keep 'em moving every minute or so.

Your potatoes are probably wet.  Try blanching them in boiling water for a minute or two, drying then frying. 

BDL

Speaking of duck fat potatoes, what do you serve them with?  I don't know where to fit them into a menu.

Koukouvagia,

 

Great question.

 

It's not terribly illuminating to say, you serve them with a protein of course, and possibly with a veg as well.  

 

Getting down to nuances:  Because they're so rich and delicious in themselves, you have to decide whether they're going to be the star on the plate, or a supporting player. For instance, they'd partner equally well with poached halibut, roast chicken, or filet mignon.  In any case, I think it's a good idea to use a sauce (e.g., hollandaise, jus, pan-reduction, to bring the protein and potatoes together.

 

Alternatively, you may want to stick with a simply grilled or roast protein and do something with the veg.  Butter glazed carrots with a Pernod and dill finish, for instance; or even creamed spinach.

 

If you're thinking about using them in a way which really features them, you could use them as an app partnered with a smallish portion of something like moules mariniere.

 

Getting back to the potatoes:  Perfect for a "finishing" salt.  Your best, is none too good.  Think about tossing in some chopped fresh rosemary at the last minute, and/or "speed-basting" with rosemary or sage added after the potatoes have already started to brown.

 

BDL

Koukouvagia,

 

When I make duck fat potatoes I season them with fleur de sel (at the end), fine black pepper, and fresh minced parsley, that's it. Or sometimes I'll put a sprig of rosemary in the pan while they're cooking, then I won't use the parsley. Or sometimes thyme. FWIW I never par-boil the potatoes (although I used to do it).

 

To me sauteed potatoes go hand in hand with a nice crispy salad. Something like a oak leaf lettuce for example. Nice french style dressing (red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, let dissolve, add dijon mustard, and finally oil).

 

Then the best protein to go with all that is probably a pan seared duck breast, but if you don't feel like duck, the next best thing is a nice thick pan seared piece of beef - I prefer a good bone in rib steak. It would also go pretty well with a crispy roasted or grilled chicken.

 

Now I'm hungry!!!

I like to soak my potatoes for a few hours in cold water to release the starch ..(.which burns out your fat) Also what BDL said is really key...wet potatoes are no good for frying....and although duck fat may be tasty for frying it does not have that high smoking point our other fat friends do.

I tend to use goosefat when I roast potatoes.

 

I par-boil them - then put them in a colander and shake vigorously, to 'rough the edges, wait for the steam to evaporate. I then drop them into hot goosefat and roast until golden.

 

BLISS

Blanch, Fry, Fry is the trick.  The blanch should be at no less than 170 degrees.  Boiling is fine.  Some people blanch for a few minutes, personally I think the best results are at 15+ minutes depending on potato size.  Some people dry after the blanching, I usually don't.

 

We first soak our spuds in a chemical called Pectinex SP-L which breaks down the pectin in the potato resulting in less imperfections in the crust and less duck fat absorption.  Duck fat is expensive--plus the fries are still crunchy and pleasant even when cold.