Duck Au Vin Recipes

DUCK AU VIN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F Tip the duck legs into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Scatter over the flour and toss the duck legs until coated. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish / dutch oven with a lid and spend a good 10 mins slowly browning the duck on all sides - try to get as much color on it as possible.
• Remove the duck to a plate and add the carrots, onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 5 mins until just beginning to color.
• Nestle the duck legs amonst the vegetables and pour over the wine. Add the herbs, season then bring everything up to the boil. Cover with a lid and place in the oven, undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Lift the duck into a container, strain the sauce into another and chill both for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. At this point the duck can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Once chilled, lift the fat off the sauce and set aside for roasting potatoes inches Heat a large saucepan and sizzle the bacon for 5 minutes Turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 3-4mins.
• Return the duck and sauce to the pan and simmer for 10 mins until the duck is heated through and the sauce has reduced a little.
• Serve each person a duck leg with some sauce poured over along with green beans and potatoes roasted in the duck fat, if you like.

PEKING DUCK WITH HONEY AND FIVE-SPICE GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)
• Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.
• Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.
• Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.
• Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.
• Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices to form sauce.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.