Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

1kg roasting potatoes (a floury potato such as Sebago or Russet Burbank)

20g sea salt

1 tbsp black peppercorns

5 sprigs thyme

1 sprig rosemary

1 bay leaf

5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

200g duck fat

50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp thyme leaves, picked

1 tbsp rosemary

Herb Salt

1 tbsp rosemary, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

250g salt

Method

To make the herb salt, mix all ingredients in a bowl. Peel the potatoes and cut into large evenly-sized pieces, so they cook at the same time. Place into a large saucepan with the salt, pepper, herb sprigs, bay leaf and garlic. Cover with plenty of water, place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until they are tender. Be careful – they must be tender, but not falling apart. Gently drain the potatoes and spread out in a single layer on a tray. Leave in the fridge overnight, uncovered, in order to allow a slight skin to form on the outside.

Preheat the oven to 210°C. Place a large roasting pan in the oven to heat. In a small saucepan, melt the duck fat with the extra virgin olive oil until hot and combined.

When the roasting pan is very hot, add the extra virgin olive oil mixture and then the potatoes. Toss the potatoes in the extra virgin olive oil and return the pan to the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to form a lovely golden brown crust. Add the thyme leaves and rosemary, and stir the potatoes to expose the uncooked sides. Return to the oven and finish cooking for a further 10–15 minutes. Once the potatoes are a nice, crispy brown, season with herb salt and serve.