Chicken In Duck's Clothing

Those of you who might have made a duck likely already know how full of juicy fat a duck is. When I make duck, I collect over 1/2 cup of ducky duck fat and it's fabulous. I love cooking with real fat. Many are familiar with saving bacon fat and cooking with it in place of butter, and it's a great way to use all the parts. People are a little less familiar as to what to do with other types of fat, though, such as the duck fat.

One amazingly tasty way to use the duck fat is to slather a whole chicken in the duck fat and roast it. Yes, you heard me right. It's one of the bestest ways to enjoy chicken if you ask me!

Get your chicken ready by rinsing it with water, and patting it dry with paper towels. Then place it on a rack in your roasting pan, and surround it with some pretty veggies. (I like onions and carrots) 

Salt and pepper your chicken, and then begin slathering it with generous amount of duck fat! 

A note on trussing: 

I have sort of given up on it... I know, I know. 

BUT I still tie the legs together for good measure. 

As for the roasting? I generally follow a loose version of Julia Child's roast chicken recipe; That is, turning the chicken from side to side and front and back every 10 minutes until it's done to perfection, about 1 hour to an hour and a half: 

SO PRETTY! 

YUM! 

Of course, the eldest male in the home carves the bird--that's tradition!