What could protect you better from the winter cold than comfort food?
In her recent tome, All About Roasting (WW Norton, November 2011), Molly Stevens serves a few ideas including the following which would not feel out of place in Gascony.
Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
This is more of a technique than an actual recipe. Once you make these potatoes a few times, you’ll
learn that you don’t really need to measure the ingredients, just as long as there’s enough fat to coat
the potatoes and the pan is big enough to hold the potatoes in a loose single layer. You can play around
with different herbs (thyme and bay are both good) or toss in a few whole garlic cloves for good measure.
The only key here is preheating the skillet and then preheating the fat. This ensures that the potatoes begin to sizzle the instant they hit the pan and thereby turn extra-crisp and don’t absorb too much fat. The potatoes turn out remarkably creamy and sweet inside, with a delectably browned exterior. You can use any waxy or all-purpose potato variety (such as round reds or small Yukon Golds), but this recipe is the perfect place to showcase specialty potatoes. French fingerlings and Russian bananas are two of my favorites. If the potatoes are very small—say, the size of a walnut—leave them whole. For anything larger, cut them in half (or quarter them), since more cut sides mean more crispy edges. Fingerlings cook best when halved lengthwise.
I realize that not every cook stores a tub of goose fat in the refrigerator (or freezer), but these potatoes
alone are worth tracking some down. Goose fat adds a savory richness to food unmatched by any other fat, with the exception of duck fat. The two are more or less interchangeable. If you roast your own goose or duck (see recipes on pages 365 and 355), you’ll have plenty of fat left over for several batches of potatoes.
Otherwise, it’s available at specialty butchers and markets and on-line (see Sources & Resources, page
539).
SERVES 3 TO 4
Method: High heat
Roasting time: About 40 minutes
1 pound small, waxy or all-purpose potatoes, such as fingerlings, creamers, or baby Yukon golds
2 to 3 tablespoons goose fat (duck fat may be substituted)
2 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Fleur de sel or Maldon salt
Heat the oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees (375 degrees
convection).
1 Heat the oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees (375 degrees
convection).
2 Heat the skillet and prepare the potatoes. If the potatoes are much more than 1 inch in diameter,
cut them in half or into large chunks. Once the oven is fully heated, set a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron
skillet on the oven rack and heat for 15 minutes. Without removing the skillet from the oven, add thefat (using 2 tablespoons for 10-inch and 3 tablespoons for 12-inch) and let it heat for 5 minutes.
3 Roast. Using sturdy oven mitts or pot holders, slide the oven rack out and add the potatoes and
rosemary to the hot fat. Stir briefly with a long spoon and immediately slide the pan back into the
oven. Shake the pan or stir the potatoes every 10 to 15 minutes to help the potatoes crisp up evenly.
Continue roasting until the potatoes are crisp and golden on the outside and creamy inside, about 40
minutes.
4 Serve. Immediately scoop up the potatoes with a slotted spoon or spatula, leaving the rosemary
sprigs behind; transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately. These are
best eaten soon after roasting, while still hot.
(* Reprinted from All About Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art by Molly Stevens. © 2011 by Molly Stevens. Photographs © 2011 by Quentin Bacon. With the permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.)