From the ancient Spice Road to the Art of Flavour

The note from Reader Ken Bromley was fairly direct. It seems to me, he said, that you guys have covered olive oil and butter. You have discussed Lard in our cooking and you have recommended we do all our frying in Ghee or Tallow.

In spite of all of that, he continued, you have missed one of the great contributors to the aromatics in our recipes. Duck Fat.

Rub or Marinade

So, once more it is our Readers who offer the timely reminders for matters of flavour. Duck Fat is indeed a great aromatic contributor, especially when used in a rub or marinade for favourite poultry recipes.

And it is nothing short of breathtaking with twice cooked baked potatoes. See: Twice Cooked Duck Fat Potatoes in Recipes

Before we go any further with Ken's comments and the wonders of Duck Fat in our cooking, we should start with health. The name Duck Fat does not help. Can you imagine a brand; Olive Oil Fat. It would be a complete flop; nobody would go near it.

A Matter of Health

Therefore, in defence of Duck Fat, it is important to note it contains 35.7% saturated fat. 50.2% monounsaturated fat and 13.7% polyunsaturated fat with the essentials Omega 6 and Omega 3.

Plus, it has high anti-inflammatory and ant-oxidant properties and 115 calories per tablespoon against 120 calories for olive oil. All really good for our health.

Moving to the kitchen, Duck Fat has a smoke (burn) point of 190c. By comparison standard Olive Oil has the same smoke point.

Awesome Flavour on a busy evening

The curious thing is Duck Fat is almost neutral in taste and aroma. Yet, when paired with herbs or spices, the flavours of poultry or vegetables simply blossom. The perfect flavour enhancer when time is short on a busy evening.

For roasting chicken simply mix a little dried thyme and dried rosemary with 3 x tablespoons of duck fat into the skin (or under if you can) then roast as you prefer.

Pan frying is even easier. Use duck fat instead of vegetable or olive oil and liberally spoon over the chicken while cooking. To give a bolder taste, add 1 x tablespoon of dried sage to the oil.

Either way you will be rewarded with a lovely, crispy crust with amazing flavour and aroma.

Stay well everybody

Arthur Huxley

www.spiceroadspices.com.au