The Duck Dilemma

“Potatoes cooked in duck fat,” mused Alex, “are even better than duck cooked in duck fat.” We were just finishing a dinner of roasted potatoes, spinach salad, and canned duck confit, which my brother and sister-in-law brought back from France for me as a birthday gift. The confit was by far the best thing I’ve ever tasted from a can (although the tinned foie gras pâté that was also part of the present may raise the bar once again).

I browned the duck in a skillet right before serving. The crisp skin and salty, tender meat were magnificent. Alex had recently ordered duck confit at Gaslight, a new French bistro in Boston, and this canned product humbled that restaurant’s pathetic attempt, which we enjoyed well enough at the time.

But was it better than the potatoes? I coated some yukon golds with some of the excess fat from the confit, and then roasted them until the outsides were a crisp brown. The insides remained sweet and creamy, and the rich duck flavor elevated the humble potato to the ultimate level of sophistication. This dish was definitely worth the every single one of its infinite calories.

It is a close call between the duck and potatoes. I obviously need much more study to answer this profound question. Lucky for me, amazon.com sells the source material necessary for my research.

Potatoes Roasted in Duck Fat:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut your potatoes into 1/2 inch wedges, and coat with salt, pepper and duck fat which has been heated until liquid. Place in oven on a roasting pan covered with foil, skin side up. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the bottom is well browned. Remove foil and flip potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes and then flip potatoes again. Cook until the skins are wrinkly about another 10 minutes. Serve immediately.