Rendered Duck Fat

1. Take the fat from the duck, and put it in a skillet or pot.

2. Add water so that it is about halfway up the sides of the fat.

3. Put the burner on its lowest setting and let the liquid simmer for 60-90 minutes.

4. When it starts to look as though the simmer is dying down, watch the fat carefully. It should be a warm golden color, with smaller bubbles. As the water evaporates, those bubbles will come closer to a boil and the remaining liquid will turn a darker golden. Eventually, the boiling bubbles will suddenly become much smaller, just back to a bare simmer, which means all the water is gone.

5. Remove it from the heat immediately and pour the fat through a fine mesh strainer. Let cool to room temperature, transfer to a glass jar and place in the refrigerator for 1 month or the freezer for 6 months.

1 pound fat = 1 cup rendered fat

Note: Save the duck skins after the fat has been rendered. Spread them out on a paper towel, sprinkle them with salt and let them air dry until crisp and crunchy (finish browning them in the oven if they’re not quite hard enough). These are called “cracklins,” and you can make “Cracklin’ Bread” with them next!