Tallow Crisps with Rosemary

Tallow Crisps with Rosemary

Rosemary, sea salt, black pepper Tallow Crisps.

Easily the most delicious crisp you’ll ever eat.

I accidentally made the best crisps of my life. I had a spare moment in between recipes and thought I’d play around with some extra russet potatoes I had. I didn’t even rinse the slices – just shaved them thin on the mandolin, straight into the hot tallow, fried until golden and crispy, then finished with fine sea salt, the crispy rosemary I’d already cooked, and a flick of freshly cracked black pepper.

The flavour was next level. The tallow gives them a rich, luxurious mouthfeel that seed oil crisps can’t touch. No greasy film – just clean, melt-in-the-mouth goodness. The potato flavour comes through stronger in these homemade crisps than store-bought ones, I think it’s just the freshness of them – the potato flavour is more more pronounced, in the best way. Absolute perfection.

Tallow is an ancestral cooking fat – nutrient dense, rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and a natural source of CLA that supports metabolism and immunity. It’s stable at high heat, making it the most superior fat for frying, and it’s been at the heart of human cooking for centuries – before seed oils ever existed. This is the fat our ancestors trusted to fuel them well.

It fries like a boss.

For this recipe I used the organic Harmony Tallow.

Ingredients

• 2–3 large, good-quality russet potatoes
• 900g Harmony tallow
• 1 large sprig of rosemary
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Prepare the fat: Add the tallow to a heavy-bottomed pot with medium-high sides. Place over medium–high heat.
2. Prep the potatoes: Wash and dry the potatoes well, then slice very thinly using a mandolin.
3. Infuse the tallow: When the tallow is hot, add the rosemary sprig and let it sizzle for 1–2 minutes until crisp. Remove and set aside.
4. Fry the crisps: Working quickly, add potato slices to the hot tallow one by one so they don’t stick together. Fry in 2–3 batches, without overcrowding the pan. Cook each batch for 5–6 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
5. Drain: Remove the crisps with a slotted or mesh scoop / spoon and lay them on paper towels to absorb excess fat.
6. Season: Once slightly cooled, sprinkle with fine sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and the crushed crispy rosemary leaves.

Serve immediately while fresh and crunchy.