Serves 8

For fluffy roast potatoes use Maris Piper or King Edwards. For firmer fleshed spuds use red-skinned Desiree. The ducks yield a lot of fat. Don’t use it all, just enough to cover the pan to a depth approximately 3mm. Cook these freshly on Christmas Day. (By the way, duck fat freezes well and is brilliant used for fried eggs.)

1.5-2kg potatoes (depending on appetites)
Fat from the ducks, about 300ml
2-3 thyme sprigs or 1 large rosemary sprig, stripped and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Peel the potatoes and cut into similar sized chunks, about 4-5cm. Boil in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes, timing from when the water comes to the boil. Drain and shake in the colander to rough up the surfaces a bit.
2 Meanwhile, heat the fat in a large roasting pan at 190C, Gas 5, until it has a slight haze coming from it.
3 Remove the pan and carefully tip in the potatoes, turning them in the hot fat to coat. Season nicely and scatter over the herb leaves.
4 Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once when they should be golden and crispy. Spoon into a warm serving dish, but don’t cover or they will go soft.

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