Do Yourself A Favor This Holiday Season And Roast Your Potatoes With Goose Fat
Fats and oils have the power to make or break a dish. Likewise, potatoes are one of those foods where the right fat is paramount. Their starchy nature means they are significantly affected by whatever they are cooked in. Use the wrong one, and they will come out oily and off-flavored. But the right one will transform regular potatoes into a true delicacy. That's where goose fat comes in.
"Goose fat is incredibly versatile. With its rich, silky texture and subtle, savory flavor, it has rightly become famous for making the ultimate roast potatoes," author and chef Mike Robinson has said. "You will always find goose fat in my kitchens — I couldn't do without it!"
Goose fat works much the same as butter but has a more robust, intoxicating flavor, making it perfect for roasting potatoes. So why not give it a try this holiday season? Just be prepared for truly addictive potatoes that have a mouthwatering fluffy center and an unbeatable crisp exterior.
Tips for the best roast potatoes ever
Part of what makes goose fat so great for roasting potatoes is its high smoke point. This allows the potatoes to cook at a high temperature without any risk of burning the fat. And that high temperature will give those potatoes that crispy exterior everyone craves. But you don't want to miss a couple of steps in the process.
Most importantly, boil your chopped potatoes before roasting to soften them up. If you just toss them in high heat straight away, they'll go from crispy to downright crunchy (in a bad way) by the time the centers thoroughly cook. You also want to preheat your goose fat before adding the potatoes to the roasting pan. Since goose fat is semi-solid, like lard, it needs the chance to melt first. You'll also want to ensure that those potato chunks are cooled before putting them in the hot fat, leading to the ultimate crisping. Be sure to flip the potatoes over a few times so they are fully coated before putting the roasting pan back in the oven.
And don't forget to season to your heart's content. While goose fat is abundant in its own natural flavor, you'll still want to add a healthy dash of salt, pepper, and herbs. Whole garlic cloves and rosemary are excellent options here.
Buying, using, and storing goose fat
The best place to get goose fat is by draining it from a goose you have cooked yourself, of course. But if goose isn't on the menu, plenty of places exist to acquire it. While it is more prevalent in the U.K. and readily available in grocery stores, in the U.S., you might want to call ahead before getting to the supermarket. Butchers and specialty shops (such as Asian markets) may be more likely to have goose fat available, however. But if you can't find it locally, plenty of online retailers will ship it to you, including Amazon.
If you're wondering whether it's worth buying goose fat just for your holiday roasted potatoes, rest assured, there are plenty of other recipes that you can use it in. Try it on other roasted vegetables or use it to cook proteins such as fish and chicken. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen, giving you plenty of time to use it.
Still not convinced to roast your holiday potatoes in goose fat? Consider its healthy fat benefits. It's chock full of oleic acid, which is known to lower cholesterol levels. And it has just 32.7 grams of saturated fat for every 100 grams, far less than butter. So go ahead, give goose fat a try!