The other day I saw my friend’s eyes light up as she talked about the gingersnap cookies she enjoyed after a scrumptious meal at a local restaurant. The secret ingredient that made her taste buds happy?

Duck Fat.

And she’s not alone. Duck fat has long been appreciated by the French in many of their recipes. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. has been catching on – first in the major cities and finally branching out into the sublets, suburbs and farm tables across the nation.

Many people view duck fat as a healthier alternative to hydrogenated oils and other processed oils. In truth, it’s not really healthy, say in the way an apple is, but it’s not the garden variety of artery-clogging oils either. This indulgent ingredient is versatile enough to be used in place of butter, shortening and oils. Used properly and consumed sparingly, frying with duck fat and baking with duck fat enriches flavor and covers the palate. Loved by natural food enthusiasts and gourmet chefs alike, the fat itself is rendered from a duck and requires very minimal processing.

Related Learning: How to Render Your Own Duck Fat

Have you ever tried food fried in duck fat? If so, what did you have and how did it taste?

My friend described the cookies she had as extra crispy, and instead of the normal buttery cookie taste, there was a smokier and richer flavor to the gingersnap.

Here are some recipes to get your weekend of to a decadent start, happy frying everyone!

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Vegetable
• Starch
• Dessert