Sage Onion Compote Recipes

THE BEST SAGE AND ONION STUFFING - CLASSIC STUFFING RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF/170ºC.
• Peel and chop 1 onion.
• Finely chop 2 stalks of celery.
• Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add the onion, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender but not colored (about 7-8 minutes).
• While the veg is cooking, mix one egg with 1 cup of cold broth, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage, 1 teaspoon of dried ground sage, 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
• Place the dry bread cubes into a large bowl and add the cooked onion mixture. Stir well to coat everything in butter.
• Tip the mixture into a casserole or oven dish.
• Pour the egg and broth mixture over and gently push the bread down into the mixture.
• Use the remaining cup of broth to pour over until all the bread is soaked; you may not need it all. (see note 4)
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top of the stuffing.
• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until the top of golden.

ONION COMPOTE WITH WINE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saute pan or stew pan.
• Add onions.
• Saute over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown; reduce heat if they are browning too fast.
• Add 2 Tablespoons sugar to onions, stir and cook 1 minute to dissolve sugar.
• Add vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring.
• Add wine and bring to a boil.
• Add water.
• Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates and onions are very tender.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• If you like, add remaining sugar and cook another minute, stirring.
• Serve hot or cold.

ONION COMPOTE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat combine onions and honey.
• Cook slowly until caramelized, about 45 minutes.
• Add vinegar and stir.
• Add water and reduce to low heat.
• Cook uncovered until liquid has been absorbed.
• Onions are done when they are tender, have melted together,and are moist but not wet.
• (More liquid and cooking time may be needed.) Whisk in butter.
• Season.
• Let cool and store in a mason jar.
• When ready to use, reheat the compote over low heat and adjust seasoning.
• Onion compote will keep refrigerated for at least a month.
• Enjoy!

ROASTED DUCK WITH SAGE & ONION STUFFING & APPLESAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Stuffing:.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. When the foaming subsides, add the chopped onion. Saute on a gentle heat for around 10 minutes. Cook until translucent, avoid browning.
• Take pan off heat and add all remaining ingredients.
• Mix well with your hands to incorporate the egg. If the mixture seems a little too dry, add a touch of water. If too moist, add some more breadcrumbs. It should hold its shape easily.
• Duck:.
• Cut neck off duckling, and put aside for future use in gravy (below).
• Put the stuffing inside the cavity of the duck. Close up the flaps of the cavity, securing them with toothpicks.
• Cover the duck with melted butter, and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Place the duck breast-side down (to make all the juices run into the breast, making for a more succulent final result) on a rack. Then place rack & duck in a roasting tray.
• Add a little water to the bottom of the roasting tray to prevent burning.
• Place tray in oven. Cook at 220°C for 15 minutes.
• After the 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 180C, and cook for a further 30 minutes.
• After the 30 minutes, turn duck breast-side up and continue cooking for another 60-70 minutes (still on 180°C), checking on occasion that it does not burn/is not browning too much.
• Note: While duck is cooking, make your gravy and apple sauce.
• If duck is getting too brown/dark, reduce heat to 160°C, or cover the extremities of the duck with aluminum foil.
• At the end of the cooking time, remove duck from oven. Place in a warm spot (perhaps atop an unused part of the stove) and cover with aluminum foil until serving time.
• Gravy:.
• Chop neck from (above) duckling into pieces with a meat cleaver.
• Put the pieces of neck and oil in a saucepan over the heat and allow some of the duck fat to render.
• Add roughly chopped vegetables, herbs, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt and fry for 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly.
• After the vegetables and duck neck have achieved a good brown color, add enough water (or stock) to barely cover the contents of pot.
• Bring slowly to the boil, skimming any scum (bubbly impurities that gather at the surface) that appears.
• When gravy has come to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and continue to skim scum from time to time. Keep on gentle simmer for as long as possible for the best flavor, adding a touch more water or stock from time to time if needed.
• When the duck (above) gets close to being cooked, strain the gravy through a fine sieve to remove the vegetables, herbs, etc. Push down hard using the back of a spoon so as to extract as much juice as possible. Discard vegetables (or feed to your chickens/compost heap!).
• In a clean pan, bring the strained gravy to the boil, stirring occasionally.
• When gravy has reduced by a third, thicken with cornflour dissolved first in a small amount of cold water (3-4 tablespoons). Make sure to quickly stir gravy once cornflour is added to ensure good dispersion of cornflour & smooth gravy consistency.
• Season the gravy with salt and pepper according to your personal tastes.
• You could also add some of the pan juices from the roast duck once it has finished cooking - just stir in well.
• Apple Sauce:.
• In spaces where duck and gravy are cooking & able to be left alone for a bit, prepare apple sauce.
• Peel and core the apples. Roughly chop them.
• Place apples in saucepan with all other ingredients (except lemon juice).
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking until the apples collapse (should take around 30 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent burning/sticking.
• When cooking has finished, take off heat and add lemon juice. Stir.
• Serving:.
• Place gravy in a sauce boat.
• Place apple sauce in a bowl/boat.
• Carve the duck.
• Enjoy!
• This dish is excellent when served with additional accompaniments like roasted new potatoes, pumpkin, minted peas, blanched green beans, honeyed carrots, etc.