Duck Or Rabbit Livers With Onion Marmalade Recipes

MARMALADE GLAZED ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Expose and cut out the wishbone. This makes the duck easier to carve once cooked. A butcher can do this for you.
• Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Lightly score the skin on the duck all over, and make a deep cut from inside the body into each leg.
• Season the duck well. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a low heat. Place the duck on its side with the thigh touching the pan for 15 mins. Turn and cook on the other side for 15 mins more.
• Turn the duck breast-side down, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 5 mins. Drain the fat from the pan, turn the duck onto its back and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut both oranges in half, then cut 4 wedges from half an orange. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat, then cook the orange wedges in the dry pan for 1 min on each side to lightly caramelise.
• Remove the orange wedges from the pan and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange halves into the hot pan and reduce by half. Add the marmalade, take off the heat, add 1 tbsp water and stir together.
• After 15 mins of roasting, brush the marmalade glaze over and continue to roast for a final 10 mins. Rest for 20 mins.
• Carve by cutting the leg and thigh away, then separating the leg from the thigh. Carve slices of breast and serve with the orange wedges to squeeze over.

DUCK OR RABBIT LIVERS WITH ONION MARMALADE

Steps:

• First, make the marmalade. Sizzle the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it is nut brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately add the onions, sugar and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat and stew gently until the onions are dark caramel brown, 30 to 45 minutes, being careful to not blacken them. Add the vinegar and wine and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the butter floats separately from the onions. You need only a few spoonfuls of this for the livers, but don't be angry! The ingredients were cheap, and this will keep for weeks, stored in a jar in the refrigerator. From thence it shall come to enliven sandwiches, charcuterie, roasts and all kinds of other stuff.
• On to the livers. Warm a plate in a low oven. Trim, rinse and pat the livers dry; season with the pepper and the remaining salt. Warm the oil in a nonstick skillet and fry the livers for about a minute and a half per side. Let them rest for 5 minutes on the warm plate, then slice and serve with a few tablespoons of marmalade on polenta, toast or crêpes parmentier (see recipe here).

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.)

ONION MARMALADE

Steps:

• Thinly slice the onions by first cutting in half, then removing the core at an angle. Thinly slice the onions like a fan. Over medium heat, add the oil followed by the onions. The onions will start to sweat and cook down, releasing their liquid. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring every 2-3 minutes until the moisture is gone, 20 minutes or more as needed, depending on moisture level of the onions.
• When all of the moisture's been cooked out of the onions, turn the heat back to medium, add the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the vinegar and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and combine. Turn the heat to low and reduce until the mixture is a thick jam, about 45 minutes.

DUCK BREASTS WITH REDCURRANT & ONION RELISH

Steps:

• Gently fry the onion, apple, garlic, ginger and chilli, if using, in a pan with the oil for about 10 mins until softened. Pour in the vinegar and bubble down until reduced by half. Add 100ml water and sugar to taste. Cook until reduced by two thirds and thickened. Stir in the redcurrants and balsamic vinegar, and cook for another 5 mins. The relish can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the fridge.
• Using a sharp knife, slash the fat of the duck breasts in a criss-cross, cutting almost through to the flesh. Rub the skin with salt and five-spice powder.
• Heat a heavy-based frying pan, until you can feel a gentle heat, then place the duck, skin-side down. Cook for 5 mins on a low to medium heat until the fat begin to melt. Spoon over the duck and season.
• When the skin begins to brown and crisp, after about another 2 mins, tip out the excess fat. Flip over the breasts and cook for another 5 mins on the flesh side. This will give you medium-rare duck. If you prefer well done, cook for a further 3 mins or so. Remove from the heat, allow to stand for 5 mins then slice diagonally. Serve with watercress salad and the relish.