Liquid Gold!
Wow! I didn’t think it was possible but I am so happy that the holidays are over. I know you are all saying that they ended weeks ago, well in this house they last till after M’s birthday on Jan. 7th (he turned the big 3 o !). Since it was such a momentus birthday we had a big surprise party for him and it was needless to say a bit hectic around here.
I have so much I want to tell you all about! I made tones of great things.
Here is a list of some of the things I made over the past few months:
- Duck Pate
- Lobster Mac n Cheese
- Herb Crusted Lamb “pops”
- Crispy Roast Duck with Cabernet Cherry Reduction
- Confit New Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
- Sunday Gravy (aka Italian Marinara)
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- German Chocolate Cake
- Sweet Cherry Tartlettes
And what I am most excited about; I rendered my very own duck fat and yes that is what I cooked the new potatoes in! I never knew how easy it would be.
OK get yourself a nice duck. Trim away all the loose fat and excess skin. I spatchcocked the bird which made it even easier to get at all the fat and skin. In a large skillet place the fat and skin in a single layer and cover with water till just the tops of the fat are showing. Heat pan on medium for about 45 to 90 minutes. As it boils the water will evaporate and you will notice the bubbles will become larger and slower. It will look like a pan of olive oil.
I was cautious and watched it like a hawk; I recommend doing this because if you burn it it will be ruined. As soon as I noticed the larger bubbles I took it off the heat. Once done take the crispy bits of fat out. You can discard but my grandmother would have a fit! She would recommend that you place on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. In Yiddish this is called Gribenes or Schmaltz. My grandmother was not Jewish but Hungarian and I cannot spell what she called it! But whatever you call it it is tasty. Getting back on track, once you have removed the bits strain the rendered fat through cheese cloth to remove any particles. And what you have left is a beautiful yellowish fat that you can cook with as you would any other oil only it tastes so much better!
If anyone would like the recipes for any of the other foods listed just ask. I’ll either email you the recipe or create a post about!
