HARISSA AND CONFIT GARLIC ROAST POTATOES

This is an amazing recipe. Loved the potatoes. It is relatively easy to make, but it takes quite a while to make because of the time you have the ingredients in the oven. However, it is really worth the effort. I can see myself making them over and over again. They were scrumptious! Here I used them to accompany a rabbit pie, but they would be lovely to accompany any meat. Or even as part of a vegetarian meal. You'll need to substitute the duck fat for olive oil and it might make a difference about how crunchy they are....  Tonight I halved the recipe.

Ingredients

2 large heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
130g duck fat
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 cm chunks
40g ground semolina
2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
2 tbsp harissa paste
sea salt flakes

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150C fan forced. 

Put the garlic cloves in a small ovenproof pan or saucepan, for which you have a lid. 

Add the duck fat and the herbs. 

Cover and roast for 40 minutes, until the garlic is caramelised and soft. 

Remove from the oven and strain the fat into a large heatproof bowl. 

Set the garlic and herbs aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 200C fan forced. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes, until they are half-cooked. 

Drain into a colander, shaking the potatoes about a bit to fluff up the edges, then leave to dry for 10 minutes or longer if you have the time. 

Add the semolina, caraway seeds, harissa and two teaspoons of flaky salt into the bowl of reserved fat, and then add the potatoes.

Mix together well, then spread out on a large oven tray. 

Roast for 45 minutes, turning them once or twice, until golden-brown, then stir in the confit garlic and herbs and roast for 10-15 minutes more, until the potatoes are dark golden-brown and the skins crisp. 

Serve hot, sprinkled with some extra salt.

Serves 6 - 8