Bread Sticks with Duck Fat and Rosemary Salt

March 9, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Roast duck is a favourite with both of my sons, and I can never bring myself to throw out the leftover fat, especially when it retails for $10 a jar at the supermarket.

Yesterday I tried incorporating it into crispy bread sticks. I was pretty chuffed at how well they turned out on the first attempt…

500g bread flour
130g duck fat
200g water
10g dried yeast
7g salt
rosemary salt, or flaky sea salt, for dusting

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and duck fat and squelch together with a clean hand to form a fairly stiff dough. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for half an hour.

2. Uncover the bowl, and give the dough a brief knead in the bowl to form a smooth dough. Cover the bowl again, and allow to prove until at least double in size – the large amount of fat will slow the proving process down somewhat.

3. Preheat oven to maximum and line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper. Turn the proved dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and fold a few times. Cut the dough into small pieces and roll each one out into a long, thin snake. Lay these out on the baking trays and sprinkle with a little rosemary salt (or other flavoured salt, or plain sea salt).

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 220C with fan, and bake the bread sticks for 15 – 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your dough), rotating the trays halfway through to ensure even baking.

Big Boy and Small Man loved these, and made short work of them when they came home. I managed to stash one away – it was the perfect dipper for my soft boiled egg this morning!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged bread sticks, duck fat, grissini | 66 Comments

66 Responses

on March 9, 2012 at 12:03 am Joanna

Wow!!! Those look amazing, how creative of you to use your duck fat like that. They are so golden and I can hear the delicate crunch from here… yum yum yummy :)
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:10 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thank you darling! They weren’t delicate though – they ended up quite large, like Harry Potter wands.. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 12:10 am emily @ wellcookedlife.com

So clever – and delicious looking. If I had you as my neighbour, I would pop round to borrow some fat and make crispy fatty duck potatoes.
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:09 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Em, I would happily share – I think there’s at least a kilo of duck fat still left in the freezer. I’m thinking of giving it its own drawer.. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 12:14 am Karen

First time seems to have worked like a charm. They look great. Duck fat had to give such a nice flavor.
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:07 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Karen! They were yummy, and I was pleased not to have to waste the fat!
on March 9, 2012 at 12:24 am heidi

I love it when the dough comes together- the first time!
I used to have a special snack for the guys when they came home ravenous. I still do for Jordan- even though it is just a quick run through the house between work and school!
These look fantastic- and I’m glad you saved yourself one, anyway!
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:07 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Heidi, I know you understand how exciting it is when an off the cuff recipe works! It doesn’t happen very often, so I was really pleased. :)
  
  Are you telling me I’ll still be baking afternoon tea for my boys once they’re fully grown? ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 12:37 am Sous Chef

What a brilliant idea, I bet they had a good crunch?!
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:05 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Sue, thank you! They were crunchy – I wish I’d had something to dip them into, but while I was considering that, the boys ate most of them.. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 12:46 am sportsglutton

Just connected to you site via Dashboard.

The incorporation of duck fat into just about anything is never a bad things, so these bread sticks are speaking to me. :-)

cheers,
Jed
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:04 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks for stopping by, Jed! Great blog you have! :)
on March 9, 2012 at 1:45 am Tandy

Will read your post tomorrow but just popped in to see if you are OK after the rain xxx
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:03 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Tandy, you are such a sweetheart, thank you for checking on us. The rain yesterday was unbelievable – all the areas around us were flooded. We’re fortunate to be quite high up, but we still had a four inch river running down our footpath all yesterday morning. Mad weather though – the sun came up for a while mid-afternoon!
  
  http://www.smh.com.au/environment/water-issues/after-the-flood-sydney-counts-the-cost-of-record-rains-20120308-1un9p.html
  - on March 9, 2012 at 3:24 pm Tandy
    
    So glad to hear you are OK! And what a great recipe – we can get duck fat here for R50 for 500g ($6.25) but I also reserve my duck fat for later use :)
    - on March 10, 2012 at 5:17 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
      
      Tandy, roasting the duck marylands (thighs and drumstick portions) produces SO much fat, it seems a crime to waste it! Your duck fat is cheaper to buy than ours!
on March 9, 2012 at 2:26 am sallybr

Brilliant indeed! I used to have some duck fat in the freezer, before we went to LA, I wonder if I kept it…. I might have to go into a freezer expedition this weekend

Lovely post, Celia!
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:00 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Sally, hope you find it in the freezer! Our freezer is a giant crypt, and there seems to be little containers of duck fat all through it (and pesto, and egg whites, and..).. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 2:37 am Melanie

Lovely looking breadsticks!! I wouldn’t want to waste the fat either, if I had some. Not sure what sort of flavor duck fat would impart, but I’m sure they are delicious if you made them!!!
- on March 9, 2012 at 4:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Mel, thank you! I’ve never been big on lard in bread, but these were very moreish and savoury indeed…
on March 9, 2012 at 2:53 am Michelle

What a great idea. Those look great. (Of course, there really are no BAD uses for duck fat, in my opinion…)
- on March 9, 2012 at 4:57 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! You’re right, of course, there are no bad uses for duck fat.. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 5:14 am frugalfeeding

How very frugal saving your duck fat! I’m impressed. These sound great. Something like this has been on my to-do list for ages… it’s annoying that I never write my list down so I always forget it :D
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:19 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Ha! I’m glad you approve, Frugal Nick! :) I save all the roasted duck stock too – it’s amazingly concentrated!
  
  https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2010/08/01/romertopf-roast-duck/
on March 9, 2012 at 5:16 am Lizzy (Good Things)

Nom nom nom nom!!
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:20 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Wish you were here to share, Lizzy! :)
on March 9, 2012 at 5:25 am Sally

You are the bread queen. These look wonderful and duck fat has such a lovely flavour.
- on March 9, 2012 at 5:42 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Sally! Not the bread queen though – this one was a happy fluke! :)
on March 9, 2012 at 6:33 am teawithhazel

lovely bread sticks celia..and a great way to use some of your precious duck fat..
- on March 10, 2012 at 6:13 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Jane! It was nice to find another way to use it up! :)
on March 9, 2012 at 6:42 am InTolerant Chef

What a clever girl you are Celia! Duck fat is such a rich meat flavour, no wonder it sells for so much at the supermarket. Your bread sticks are delightful, I’m not surprised the boys scoffed them!
How are your girls holding up in all the rain? Has it put them of laying, or sent them into early molt? I hope they’re not to miserable, I used to dry mine with the hair dryer and they would lie down an stretch out add if they were sun baking :)
- on March 10, 2012 at 6:12 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Becca, I’ve told Pete how you dried them with a hairdryer, but he wouldn’t bring them in for me to coddle them. I also told him how you shampooed one of yours.. ;-)
  
  Pete’s Uncle Mike told me about a friend of his who use to wash his prize chooks before a show and then dry them by holding their feet and swinging them in giant windmill movements with his arm!
on March 9, 2012 at 8:08 am Amanda

How could anybody not be seduced by a post containing the words “duck fat” in the title? Nice one, Celia.
- on March 10, 2012 at 6:10 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Amanda, now that I know that, I’ll make sure to put “duck fat” into more post headers.. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 8:16 am Claire @ Claire K Creations

I bet these tasted amazing! Lucky you got to hide one away.
- on March 10, 2012 at 6:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Claire, I was pretty chuffed too – it was brilliant with the soft boiled egg..
on March 9, 2012 at 8:47 am C

They look great, and what a great use of your duck fat :-)
- on March 10, 2012 at 6:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks C! I have to find uses for it – it seems to be over-running my freezer! :)
on March 9, 2012 at 10:19 am hotlyspiced

What a great idea Celia. Your bread sticks look fantastic. They look very long too – how did you fit them in your oven? And homemade bead with a soft-boiled egg is the perfect breakfast.
- on March 10, 2012 at 6:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Charlie, I have a 90cm oven! :)
on March 9, 2012 at 10:29 am Nic@diningwithastud

Ooooh breadsticks are my weakness haha. Stick them in front of me and I def wont eat my dinner :/ love the sound of the duck fat – what a fab way to use it
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:19 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Nic, they were very moreish – we all ended up eating for more than we should have! :D
on March 9, 2012 at 11:29 am Michelle R

Okay, so another testimonial: My vegetarian husband only needed one bite to get over the fact that these were made with duck fat. We then proceeded to eat them all for dinner!
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:18 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  I told Pete to make sure to tell Shaun when he handed them over! :) I’m glad he liked them!
on March 9, 2012 at 4:38 pm Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

Me too! I couldn’t throw out the goose fat and it seems to last for ages (I ended up using it for a savoury baklava!. These look fantastic Celia! :D
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Savoury baklava? Oh I am so going back through your archives, Lorraine.. ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 4:56 pm cityhippyfarmgirl

no wonder your boys scoffed these down. Yum! (You know they will never want to move out of home, don’t you ;-)… actually i’m surprised all their friends haven’t wanted to move in!
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Sigh. I know I’ll regret saying this in ten years time, Brydie, but wouldn’t it be lovely if they could stay at home forever? ;-)
on March 9, 2012 at 7:03 pm Liz

How I wish I had seen this idea when I was raising lots of ducks. Sadly wasn’t so experimental in baking bread in those days. My girl friend gets lots of very tasty bacon fat at her cafe–many uses–but duck fat is probably healthier.
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:14 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  I can just imagine all the uses for bacon fat – crispy and melted!
on March 9, 2012 at 7:39 pm tania@mykitchenstories

I had no idea you could do this. Very very good!
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:13 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Tania! I think next time I’ll try to make them slightly less chunky – little fine sticks might be nice to dipping!
on March 9, 2012 at 8:32 pm Jane @ Shady Baker

I would never have thought of this Celia but it looks and sounds incredible, yum!
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:12 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Jane, they were fun to bake! I don’t bake a lot with yeast anymore, and it was fun to have something “quick” to make.. :)
on March 10, 2012 at 12:07 pm thehaleyway

Great use of one of my favorite fats of all time! Any time I roast a duck, I’ll save the fat as long as I can to use it in as many ways possible(: Love this one!
- on March 10, 2012 at 5:11 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Haley! I’ve just roasted more duck today and have containers of duck fat and stock stashed in the freezer..
on March 11, 2012 at 4:49 am Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

OH…. MY…. GOD! I don’t know what else to say!
- on March 12, 2012 at 5:20 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Guys, if you lived closer, we would spend all our time eating and drinking beer. I think these would be a great beer snack.. ;-)
on March 11, 2012 at 3:53 pm Just A Smidgen

Hmmm, Harry Potter wands, eh? I think that’s even better than a bread stick!! Bread wands… they sound so magical! My cooking is so mainstream… no duck fat in this kitchen! I’m going to do something about that!
- on March 12, 2012 at 5:11 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Smidge, they were certainly chunky sticks! Your cooking is never boring.. :)
on March 11, 2012 at 10:45 pm Carrietracy

That is quite a lot of duckfat!! I do have containers of it tucked away in the freezer, but I worry that might wipe out my supply. Oh well, I suppose I could suffer and just eat more duck. Such a sad, sad fate. ; )

Here in the US there is a restaurant called Duckfat that offers duckfat fries as well as some sweet applications (beignets and churros). If I’m every visiting that area, I’m definitely going. How could anyone resist?
- on March 12, 2012 at 5:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  There is buckets of duck fat in the freezer! I tried to stocktake recently, and kept coming up with little containers of it! :) Duckfat churros, now there’s an idea.. :)
on March 12, 2012 at 4:58 am Kitchen Butterfly

My daughters are like your boys – they LOVE roast duck, which we can’t get here…..but, smoked chicken we can, which is next best. Love the bread sticks and the fact that you do not waste.

BTW, I need to share with you that I’m gifting cakes and bakes to my neighbours and everyone’s happy. In fact, one came over this evening and said ‘any cake?’ And glad was I to give her a thick wedge. Lots of love……
- on March 12, 2012 at 5:04 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Oz, that is sooo nice to hear – I’m sure your neighbours must love you! :)
on March 13, 2012 at 5:49 am norma

Duck fat…so rich…sooooo good. These look fantastic and so crispy….
- on March 13, 2012 at 8:19 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  They really were a bit wicked, Norma! :)

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