Duck Mousse Toast Recipes

DUCK LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Two days before serving cut away and discard any large sinews from the duck livers.
• Soak the livers in milk, 500ml (2 cups) of water and 10ml (2 tsp) salt, overnight. This will help to reduce any bitterness.
• The day before serving, start making the parfait. Rinse the livers, pat dry and set aside.
• Gently fry the shallots and garlic in oil and butter until softened.
• Add the thyme then pour in the port and brandy.
• Bring the contents to a boil until the liquid has been reduced by a third.
• Lower the temperature to a minimum setting and add the livers, stirring them until they have browned, which should take around 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 130°C/27°0F/gas mark ½.
• Remove the thyme sprigs and place the rest of the contents in a blender. Process until smooth.
• While the processor is running, add one cracked egg into the mix every 30 seconds. This should take around 4 minutes and the mixture should be silky smooth.
• Pour the melted butter very slowly while the motor is running.
• Season to taste.
• Sieve the mixture to ensure the parfait is perfectly smooth.
• You can either use 24 ramekins or 2 large terrine tins. Whatever you decide, pour the parfait into the dishes and place them in deep baking trays. Cover all of them with greaseproof paper.
• Fill the baking trays with water up to two-thirds of the height of the dishes.
• Place the trays in the oven and cook for 40 minutes. You need a thermometer to test whether the parfait has reached an internal temperature of 65°C/150°F. If not, cook for a few minutes longer and keep checking until the desired temperature has been reached.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
• You now have a choice to freeze it for later use, or you can place it in the fridge overnight to firm up.
• If you choose the latter, you can remove the greaseproof paper and spread softened butter on top of each dish to help retain its moisture and prevents oxidation.
• Serve the next day with amaretto cherries or persimmon chutney.

DUCK LIVER MOUSSE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Place the livers in a bowl and add the milk to cover. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain well and pat livers dry.
• In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp and all of the fat is rendered, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Set bacon aside. Reserve the bacon drippings. Add the livers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the pepper and cook until the livers are just slightly pink and the shallots are soft, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the cognac and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the livers are cooked through but still tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large shallow bowl to cool.
• Once cooled, place the liver mixture together with any drippings in the bowl of a food processor and add the cream cheese and 1/2 pound butter and process until smooth. Add salt to taste if necessary.
• Spoon the mixture into small ramekins or serving bowls and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 4 to 6 hours.
• While the mousse is chilling, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet and add the onions. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. If the onions begin to toughen or get too dark around the edges before they are soft and caramelized, add a bit of water, as necessary. Season the onions with salt and pepper, to taste, transfer to a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve the mousse.
• Crumble the crisp-cooked bacon into a small bowl.
• To serve the mousse, place the ramekins on a plate and serve with the toasted croutons. The caramelized onions and crumbled bacon should be nearby in small bowls for guests to garnish their mousse-spread croutons. (Alternatively, spread the mousse on the croutons and garnish with the onions and crumbled bacon and pass the assembled hors d'oeuvres on a platter.)

TRIO OF FLAVORS ON A STICK: DUCK MOUSSE, DUCK BREAST AND MERINGUE-BERRY

Steps:

• Duck Mousse with Clarified Butter Croutons and a Duo of Red Berries:
• In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, and the foam moves to the top, skim off the foam with a spoon or small ladle. Pour off the clean yellow butter, into a small bowl, leaving the cloudy milky liquid on the bottom. The clean liquid is clarified butter. In a clean skillet, over medium heat, pour in some of the clarified butter. Once the butter is hot, add the brioche cubes and toast on all sides until golden brown. Transfer the bread cubes to paper towels and set aside. To assemble, skewer 1 bread cube on a toothpick, then follow with a piece of mousse and 2 berries. Repeat with remaining toothpicks and serve.
• Pan-seared Duck Breast with Habenero Apple Mango and Pear Chutney:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and saute the onion until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Gently stir the fruits and orange juice into the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the honey and habanero. Sprinkle the mint leaves over the top, cover with lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until the fruit is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the habanero pepper just before serving.
• Season the skinless side of the duck breast with salt and pepper. Heat a small oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, add the duck breast, skin side down, to cook until crispy, about 6 minutes. Turn the breast over and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast for 8 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the duck breast from the oven to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes before slicing. Keep warm. Slice duck breast into 12 thin slices. Fold each slice in half, spear on a toothpick and garnish with spoonful of chutney.
• Meringue-Berry Stick:
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Set a very clean, heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add the egg whites to the bowl and whisk until just fluffy. Continue whisking and gradually add the powdered sugar. (You can switch to a hand mixer at this point if you'd like, or continue using a whisk.) Beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to overbeat, as this will cause the whites to release water and the batter will become runny. Put the batter into a pastry bag with a large, round tip and pipe out 12 small rounds with a little peak onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Meringues should be bite-sized. If you have more batter, pipe out more rounds and bake them for a snack! Store in an airtight container. Bake the meringues until light gold, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. On a toothpick, gently skewer 1 meringue and follow with a fresh raspberry or blackberry.

DUCK LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• 1. Place duck fat in a skillet, and cook over medium to high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the fat has melted and some of it has browned.
• 2. Add the shallots, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the liver, herbes de Provence, and garlic, and cook over medium to high heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper.
• 3. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the Cognac, and blend until liquefied. If a finer textured pâté is desired, push the mixture through the holes of a strainer with a spoon. This will yield 1/2 cup. Let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours, then cover and and refrigerate until serving time.
• 4. Spread the pâté on the toasted baguette slices, and serve. The pâté will keep, well covered, for 3 to 4 days.

VELVETY DUCK LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Cut away and discard any large sinews from the livers, then set the livers aside. Heat about a third of the butter in a large frying pan, then gently fry the shallots and garlic for 3-4 mins unti l soft. Turn up the heat, add the livers, then fry until just browned on all sides. Add the brandy and port, boil down as quickly as possible - if the sauce catches light for an instant, then all the better. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool completely.
• Season the livers generously, then tip the contents of the pan into a food processor with the tomato purée and remaining butter, and blitz until smooth. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, taste for seasoning, then tip into a serving dish, banging the dish down on the tabletop to smooth out the surface. Place in the fridge to set.
• Once the mixture has set, make the topping. Gently melt the butter in a small pan or in a bowl in the microwave, then leave for a min to settle and separate. Pour the yellow butter that has risen to the top into another bowl and discard the milky liquid. Leave the yellow butter to cool slightly, then mix in the thyme and peppercorns. Pour the mixture over the parfait and leave to set in the fridge. Serve with plenty of toast, sliced gherkins and chutney. Will keep for 2 days in the fridge.