Crisp New Potatoes

Went to France last weekend and had lunch one day in the local café. All the usual lovely things and all things duck - speciality of the region when you go to the Gers. I had the magret because I love magret and was expecting it to be served with chips. But no - it was served with new potatoes that had been cooked in stock and so were delicately flavoured and quite amazing.

With the cuisine cup ingredients listing three different types of new potatoes to be used and a requirement that one garnish for the lamb be potato based I thought of these little delights of last week and wondered about adding the joy of duck fat. Cook the potatoes in stock till they are fluffed all the way through then crisp them in a pan on a gentle heat till golden.

Crisp New Potatoes

750g waxy new potatoes, small as you can find

500ml stock or water

2 cloves garlic sliced

3 tablespoons of goose or duck fat

Salt and pepper

No need to peel them but scrape any scraggy bits of the potatoes. Leave them whole if they are tiny or halve if needs be. You want them to be about the size of a walnut. Parboil them in seasoned stock with the garlic slivers. After about 15 minutes drain them.

Heat the fat in a heavy based pan and add the potatoes and garlic. Cook on a gentle heat for about half an hour turning occasionally till they are crisp and golden all over. Sprinkle with a little crystal salt to serve.

Amazing.