Here’s where we separate the foodies from the people who only look at our website to be nice to us.
Michael and I contemplated a 6-hour drive up to Hot Doug’s after watching the Anthony Bourdain Chicago episode where he went to the place famous for its sausages and duck fat fries. We restrained ourselves on account of that whole school thing we’re enrolled in. But enter Mike Odette, our favorite James Beard Award Semifinalist. He gave us some leftover duck fat a few weeks ago, and I immediately got to cleaning and slicing potatoes. (Oh to have friends in high places!)
Normally I bake my French fries, but when you have duck fat, you forget about your waistline and double fry those suckers. If you happen to get your hands on some duck fat, I suggest you do the same.
Duck Fat French Fries
- Pint of duck fat
- Potatoes (One per person…or more)
- Water
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Seasoning (Simple salt and pepper, or get creative)
If you’re picky, peel the skins off the potatoes, otherwise just scrub them well. Slice the potatoes to desired thickness. Put in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add a good heaping of salt and a splash or two of vinegar. Leave the fries in this mixture for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. This helps draw the moisture out of the potatoes so you get a crispier fry.
Heat the duck fat (or any oil, I guess) in a deep pot, pan or other frying apparatus you might have. Drain the potatoes and pat as dry as possible. Any moisture on the potatoes will cause a lot of dangerous duck fat splattering.
Add potatoes in small batches. For really crispy fries, fry for a few minutes, then remove to paper towel before thoroughly cooked. Do this with all the potatoes, then return par-cooked fries to oil for a second fry. Some places get really crazy and triple fry. I wouldn’t have the patience. And double worked just great for us.
