How to Render Duck Fat

If, after having read the title of the post, you're still reading this, chances are you're one of those who don't lose consciousness at the thought or sight of animal fats or seek to burn some of us at the stake for heretically extol the virtue of such things.

That's great. We can be friends.

Long before I first tasted and instantly fell madly in love with duck confit, pommes sarladaises cooked in duck fat, etc., I had always adored duck. Growing up, though we didn't use rendered duck fat in our cooking, our family, like most Asian families, ate tons of duck cooked in many different ways -- braised, roasted, stewed, curried, stir-fried, dry-salted and deep-fried, etc. And long before I came to know more about duck fat, I had been curious as to why duck fat-covered pots and pans (or even hands) are easier to clean than the same items covered in, say, beef fat, chicken fat, or -- worse -- pork fat. When I handle pork fat, sometimes I have to wash my hands with soap and warm water 2-3 times before they're completely clean and grease-free. On the other hand, when I handle duck or goose fat, one quick rinse with nothing but room temperature water often does the trick. See for yourself.

I'm sure there's a scientific explanation for that. But I'd rather not show my utter incompetence in science by attempting to give you one. Perhaps it lies in the molecular structure of the fatty acids found in duck fat which could be different from those found in pork, beef, or chicken fat? I wish I knew. Fortunately, people who know more than I do have already explained the superiority of duck fat so well here and here. Some people even argue that duck/goose fat is not only harmless, but healthy for us. Could this be another factor in the French paradox in addition to red wine?

All I know is that everything cooked in or with duck fat tastes absolutely delicious.

The recommended method for rendering duck fat is to slow-cook raw duck skin over medium heat to extract the golden liquid out of the skin. But I do it the cheap and easy way. Every time I roast a duck (a couple of times a month), I pour the rendered fat at the bottom of the roasting pan into a gravy separator or a Pyrex measuring cup. The fat will rise to the top while the duck jus and the seasonings (not a lot since I simply salt and pepper my duck) sink to the bottom. I pour the fat part into a freezer container and use the remaining jus to make gravy for my roasted duck. I usually end up anywhere from one to two cups of duck fat each time I roast a duck.

Over time, I have accumulated lots of rendered duck fat in the freezer. For quick dishes, such as sautéed or pan-seared vegetables, I just scrape off the needed amount of frozen duck fat right out of the freezer container. Once every two months or so, I use the entire container of frozen duck fat to make duck confit and take that as an opportunity to start accumulating a new batch.

Duck fat has a very high smoke point which means it does not burn easily or develop off flavors when heated. It also keeps for a long time in the refrigerator or freezer.