The Basics

Duck Fat Roast Potatoes

Roast PotatoesLife’s too short to suffer bad roast potatoes, but thankfully I wouldn’t know because mine are pretty awesome!

A tad conceited perhaps, but my roast potatoes almost never fail to come out golden, delicious and with that all important “crunch”!

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lone “trick” to making the perfect roast potato, but rather a series of simple, yet essential, steps that yield the desired result. Parboiling the potatoes in heavily salted water is a vitally important part of the recipe, so don’t be tempted to skip it.

Arguably the most important factor in making your roast potatoes is, however, the fat you chose to cook them in. There are a variety of options out there, but I prefer using duck fat. Healthy and relatively easy to source, duck fat makes for great results!

Click here for the recipe

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Sichuan Chilli Oil 四川辣油

Sichuan Chilli Oil (makes 250ml)

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 spring onion, cut into segments
  • 2 slices of ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 1 small cinnamon stick, approximately 3cm long
  • 4 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and crushed
  • 3 tbsp. chilli flakes (preferably Sichuan or Korean)
  • 1/8 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cumin

Method:

  1. Combine vegetable oil, spring onion, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon and Sichuan peppercorn in a small sauce pot
  2. On a medium heat, let the ingredients fry in the oil for a couple of minutes, or until the garlic and spring onion just start to colour
  3. Add the chilli flakes, ground coriander and cumin
  4. Fry for another minute until the chilli flakes slightly darken in colour
  5. Turn off the heat and set it aside
  6. Pick out the spring onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and star anise

The chilli oil will last indefinitely; the longer it sits, the better the flavour

For more Chinese recipes, please click HERE or to find out more about how to stock a Chinese Pantry, please click HERE