Homestyle Roast Vegetables with Garden Herbs

For the perfect accompaniment to any special meal or for a mid-week vegetable makeover, a little duck fat goes a long way to give your favourite vegetables a simple gourmet twist. These homestyle vegetables will make it so easy for you to create deliciously crispy potatoes and lovely brown caramelised vegetables bringing extra flavour to your table.

• Duck fat can be found in the cold fridge area of your supermarket or in specialty shops in tins.
• The best roasting potatoes are naturally more fluffy, creamy and smooth in texture on the inside while being able to crisp up on the outside; some of the varieties include Dutch creams, Desiree, Coliban and King Edward.
• Simmering the potatoes first and then roughing up the edges a little when you drain them helps achieve maximum crunch and crisp after roasting.
• Instead of roasting the vegetables, boil them until just tender then toss with the duck fat and honey cooking them under your griller and turning them until golden brown.
• The most important thing to remember when roasting is that your baking dish is a heavy base and is large enough to hold the vegetables in a single layer with space between them so they can feel the heat and crisp up and cook evenly.
• Add other vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini, squash and leeks 15 minutes before the end time to add a flash of green to the dish.
• Duck fat is incredibly versatile, as it has a high smoking point and you can use it without the guilt. It’s low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fat, making it one of healthiest animal fats you can eat. Ideal for frying, stir frying, roasting and baking and it can be used as a solid or liquid form when cooking and when replacing other fats in recipes, simply exchange the same amount of butter or oil for duck fat.