While I was paging through Jerusalem, the cookbook, looking for a substantial side to go with my mint butter lamb chops, I came across these Duck Fat Potatoes with Prunes. It sort of struck me as an odd pairing, but it also struck me as something that might be perfect on a night when you’re just serving guests little tastes of lots of different things. It doesn’t hurt that I trust Ottolenghi implicitly. It turned out that I was right on many accounts, and the Duck Fat Potatoes with Prunes via Jerusalem were perfect when served with the slightly salty lamb chops. In fact, whatever you serve them with, I would recommend being liberal with the salt because there’s definitely a bit of (perfectly balanced) sweetness from the caramel and the prunes. Also, at first glance this recipe seems like a bit of a chore. I mean, come on, you have to cook the potatoes twice? But as someone who derives extreme pleasure from perfectly crisped potatoes, be they French fries or steak fries, I have come to appreciate the technique behind these particular Duck Fat Potatoes with Prunes via Jerusalem. In fact, as a former waiter, I don’t really like to send things back to the kitchen. But the one dish I am most likely to send back? You guessed it, French Fries. I mean, they’re NOT good for you, in case you were wondering. In general I don’t order them at all, because if they are on the table, I am likely to pick at them even if they aren’t good. So when I do order them, I have specific expectations. First of all, they had better be hot. Second of all, they had better be extra crispy. After that, I’m pretty open. And if you are a place that makes really good fries, well, that’s enough to keep me coming back to your restaurant. And while I don’t make them at home often, I definitely admit that now and then I attempt sweet potato fries in the oven, or something along those lines. I’m rarely super impressed with my product. After years of altering my technique and trying very hard to have that crunchy, crispy outside on potatoes, it was a pleasant surprise to find that this two-step cooking process works every time. And I intend to apply it to lots of other root vegetables and see what happens. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, I highly recommend these Duck Fat Potatoes with Prunes this winter. And with the richness of the duck fat and burnt caramel sauce, there’s no reason that this can’t be the entrée served with a few lovely salads from my Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Party.
- 2(ish) pounds russet potatoes
- ½ cup duck fat
- 5 ounces pitted prunes
- ½ cup granulated sugar*
- 3½ tablespoons cold water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Set the oven to 475° F.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces (this is one of those times where consistent size and shape matters because of the high heat- we want them all equally crisped).
- Rinse them under cold water and then place them in a pot filled with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and then simmer for 8 - 10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and then shake them in a colander to rough up their edges a bit and drain off the excess water.
- Spoon the duck fat into a roasting pan and heat it up in the oven until it’s melted. Remove the pan from the oven and toss in the potatoes (Be careful! Hot grease!) Place the pan back in the oven (on the highest rack) and cook the potatoes for 40 to 65 minutes, or until they are golden and have turned crunchy (I check them at 20 and 40 minutes and toss them to ensure even cooking).
- When the potatoes look just about ready remove from the oven and drain any excess fat. This step is unnecessary if the potatoes have absorbed all of the duck fat (for better or worse).
- Turn off the oven.
- Add salt and prunes; toss gently; return to the oven for about 5 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, melt the sugar into a syrup with a medium caramel color. When you’ve achieved your desired color, remove the pan from the heat at once and pour in the water.
This will cool the caramel and stop it from becoming darker. It will also thin it. - Return the pan to the heat and whisk to dissolve any sugar clumps.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss them with the caramel.
Taste. Season if necessary. - Serve with mint butter lamb chops and other lovely things from my Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Party.
- *fine sugar melts more easily
- Serve at once. If you must make ahead, work through the potatoes being very crispy. You can even make the caramel. It will harden in the pot while you’re doing other things. To serve. Put the potatoes back in the oven for five minutes. Then resume at the “add the prunes and salt” step.
