Duck Stew Compote De Canard Recipes

CONFIT DE CANARD

Steps:

• Quarter the ducks and remove the backbones. Cut and trim off as much fat as possible. Grind any excess skin and all the fat in a food processor, place in a deep saucepan with 1 cup water and render the fat (simmer it over low heat for about 45 minutes, uncovered), strain, and reserve.
• Cut each breast into halves with the wings attached. Roll each piece of duck in the salt and place it in a large stainless glass or earthen bowl. Sprinkle each piece of duck with a mixture of the shallots, herbs, and spices and scatter any remaining salt over the top. Cover loosely and refrigerate 24 hours. NOTE: This may be cut down to a few hours if it is to be eaten within a week or two.
• Rinse quickly, then wipe the pieces of duck to remove all the salt, herbs, spices, and liquid.
• Heat the strained fat in a deep, wide kettle. Add the duck, 1/2 cup of water, the halved garlic head, and enough rendered poultry or pork fat to cover. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and cook at a simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the duck flesh can be easily pierced with a straw. Do not let the mixture boil.
• Remove the duck, drain and discard any loose bones. Strain the warmed fat. Put about 1 cup of warmed fat into each of the bowls or mason jars intended for storage of the confit and cool in order to congeal the fat.
• Arrange the duck pieces in the containers without compacting them. Strain the remaining fat, tepid but not hot, over the duck to cover. The pieces of duck must be completely submerged in the fat. Cover and chill until solid. Cover with a layer of melted lard. Cover tightly with a glass top or with plastic wrap and store in a cool place such as a cold cellar or the refrigerator. Leave to ripen at least 1 month. It keeps well for 6 months.
• To use the confit, set the jars or bowl in a warm oven. When the fat softens, remove pieces desired. Return jar or bowl to the refrigerator. Be sure all of the remaining pieces are covered with fat. The duck can be served at room temperature or warmed in an oven, then Sauteed to crisp the skin.

PASTEL DE MAIZ

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 5 cup souffle or baking dish. In a food processor pulse 4 cups of the corn kernels (reserving 1 cup) for 5 to 10 seconds, scraping down the bowl to get the mixture to move freely. Continue processing until the corn is pureed. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pureed corn and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to coating consistency.
• Transfer the pureed corn to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. Fill a large deep
• saucepan about 1/3 full with chicken stock and add the celery, carrot, peppercorns, and salt
• (there should be just enough stock to cover the chicken breasts). Bring the stock to a boil
• over high heat. Season the chicken well, add it to the pan and reduce the heat. Partially cover the pan and simmer for about 12 minutes, then remove from the heat, add the pitted prunes to the pan to soak, and let the chicken cool until it is just warmer than room temperature. Remove the chicken and the prunes. Cut the chicken meat into 1inch cubes, discarding the skin and bone. Coarsely chop the prunes and set them both aside. In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for one minute, stirring. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, cover the pan and let the onions cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until softened. Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium. Continue cooking until the excess liquid has evaporated, without browning the onions. Drain the chopped tomatoes, then add them to the pan. Continue cooking until the excess moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, prunes, and the reserved cup of corn kernels to the pan and remove it from the heat. In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they are pale and thickened. Add the pureed corn mixture and mix to combine. Spread half of the yolk corn mixture over the base of the pan, then carefully spoon the chicken mixture over the corn in an even layer. Cover with the remaining yolk corn mixture in an even layer and brush the top lightly with the beaten egg yolk. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

CANARD ROTI AVEC GOLD LEAF (ROASTED DUCKLING)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Clean the whole duck and marinate with fresh lemon juice, salt and sugar mixture for 20 minutes, refrigerated. Place duck in a roasting pan with breast up. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and drain fat from the duck. Brush the duck with a half portion of red wine and roast the duck for 30 minutes. Drain the fat again and brush the rest of the red wine on the duck. Continue roasting the duck for another 30 minutes until the skin of the duck turns brown and crispy. Remove the duck from the oven, and remove the bones from the duck. Slice the duck into pieces and set it aside.

CONFIT DE CANARD

Steps:

• Rub the duck legs all over with the split garlic cloves and put them in a glass bowl with the salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours, turning once.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Rinse the duck and pat dry with a towel. Set the legs in a baking dish and tuck in the garlic cloves. Pour over enough fat to cover them, place over heat and when you see the first bubble, set it on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and bake uncovered until the meat is very tender and shrinks away from the bone, about 4 hours. Cool slightly in the fat, then carefully lift them out.
• While the confit cooks, soak 2 wooden skewers in a saucepan and boil 5 minutes to sterilize. Lay in the bottom of two sterilized glass loaf pans (breaking the sticks if needed). Lay on the duck legs and ladle over the fat, leaving any juices behind. Make sure they are well covered. Cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate a week to mellow.
• To cook, remove the pans from the fridge and set in simmering water about 20 minutes, so you can pull the legs out without breaking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and lay the legs skin-side down with a little fat around them in a cast iron pan. Bake until hot, about 15 minutes. Remove and turn oven to broil. Turn legs skin-side up and broil to crispen skin, about 3 minutes.

CONFIT DUCK

Steps:

• The day before cooking, put the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan and toast until they are slightly coloured and aromatic. Remove to a board and crush them with the blade of a knife. Crush the juniper berries and mix with the spices and the salt. Rub the mixture over the duck, scatter with thyme, rosemary and sliced garlic and chill for 24 hrs, turning two or three times as they marinate.
• Next day, heat oven to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2. Wipe the duck with kitchen paper and pat dry, but don't wash off the marinade. (The salt extracts the water from the meat cells, which will be reinflated with fat as the duck cooks gently. If you wash it, you will simply reinflate the cells with water.)
• Put the duck in a cast-iron casserole and cover with the goose fat or duck fat. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and cook for about 2½ hrs, or until the meat is almost falling away from the bone. You can store the duck very simply by placing it in a pudding bowl, covering it with the fat and keeping it in the fridge: as long as it stays covered with fat it will last for weeks.
• To cook, remove the confit duck legs from their fat. Put an ovenproof frying pan on the stove until it is hot. Add the duck legs, skin-side down, and cook for 4 mins. Turn the legs and transfer the pan to the oven for 30 mins, until crisp.