duck fat roasted brussels sprouts Archives

Duck Fat Brussels Sprouts

This recipe will make ardent Brussels sprout eaters out of family and friends.

Cuisine Vegetables

Ingredients

4 lbs. Brussels sprouts
2/3 cup melted duck fat
3 medium shallots thinly sliced
1 cup toasted pecans broken into pieces, optional
1 Tbs. orange or lemon zest
kosher salt to taste
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oven to 450.
Slowly melt all of the duck fat, except for 2 tablespoons, in a saucepan. Remove outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts, keep the ones that do not have any blemishes.
Cut off and throw out the bottom of each Brussels sprout, and cut them in half.
Toss the brussels sprouts with the shallots and put into a roasting pan.
Drizzle the melted duck fat over the top.
Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Roast for about 25 minutes until golden brown and caramelized.
Gently stir the sprouts about 15 minutes into the roasting
Remove from the oven.
Toss with the orange or lemon zest.
Stir in the pecans if you are using

This Potato Galette that I had at Chez L’ami Louis in Paris is one of their specialties cooked with duck fat. C’est si bon!

Duck fat is something to quack about. All right, enough of the puns already. Let’s just say that duck fat is to potatoes what bread is to butter. It’s a match made in culinary heaven not only for L’ami Louis’ potato galette, but their potato fries as well.

A pyramid of potato fries at Chez L’Ami Louis. The magic fat also adds zest to roasted potatoes, hash browns, sautéed fingerlings and mashed potatoes. No need for limp, pale fries when this magical fat can deliver potatoes that are crisp and scrumptious.

Before taking up duck fat cooking, I did a little research to lessen the guilt. I discovered it’s not as bad for you as it’s name might imply. It’s low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fat. Of all the fats, it’s the closest nutritionally to olive oil. In Southwest France, where it’s used most, heart disease is about half of what it is in the rest of France, which is already half that of the U.S.

Duck fat is not just for pairing with potatoes. It’s smooth texture and mild flavor make it perfect for oven-roasted or sautéed vegetables. Use it in pie recipes for extra flakiness, as a wonder rub for roast chicken, a flavor enhancer for popcorn, and to sear meats, poultry and fish. Having a high smoke point makes it perfect for frying and roasting.

So where do you get duck fat without home-rendering? Amazon ($6.49), of course, though I’m sure a conversation with your butcher would reveal other sources as well. I saw on the Internet that Sur La Table in Frontenac has an 11.2-oz jar for $14.95; the same thing is available here for $7.99. If you want to render your own fat, expect to get less than a pint per duck.

I’m adding this recipe to my Thanksgiving table: Duck Fat Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which is a lot easier than the Shredded Brussels Sprouts I usually serve. How could anything with sprouts, shallots, pecans, orange zest AND duck drippings be anything but magnificient! I may even give my Thanksgiving turkey a duck fat massage.