Tea Smoked Duck Legs With Mushroom And Orzo Ragout Recipes

TEA SMOKED DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients, except sesame/vegetable oil, for the marinade in a bath solution and place cleaned duck in it overnight.
• Hang dry and rest for at least 2 hours. Hang duck in smoking oven with hook on the upper neck.
• Place the camphor wood, brown sugar, tea twigs, if available, on a pan at the base of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Some recipes call for tea leaves but tea leaves in the sugar/camphor mixture does not add that much tea flavor to the ducks. Roast the duck for approximately 40 minutes, but depends on size of duck, type of oven, etc. For best results for a crispy skin, the last 5 to 10 minutes should be at 400 degrees F, with a final basting of sesame/vegetable oil on the skin of the duck. Duck can be flashed in hot oil to finish, if timing for service is critical.
• Cut and serve hot, with buns and sauce, optional.

DUCK RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Season the shallots with salt and pepper. Saute the shallots for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the duck meat. Saute for 1 minute. Stir in the reduction and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the butter and parsley. Remove from the heat and re-season if necessary. Serve over mash potatoes or cheesy grits.
• In a large saucepan, add the stock, onions, carrots, celery, and bouquet garni. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and cool. Refrigerate overnight and remove any congealed fat from the surface. The reduction can be stored in the freezer in ice cube trays for 1 month.
• Break and crack the carcass. In a large stockpot, heat the vegetable oil. Season the bones with salt and pepper. Add the bones to the pot and brown for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Season the mixture with salt. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine and tomato paste and stir to mix. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water. Put the thyme, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth, tie it together with kitchen twine, and add it to the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. Skim off any cloudy scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and cool. Refrigerate overnight and remove any congealed fat from the surface. The stock can be stored in the freezer for 1 month.

TRUFFLED MUSHROOM AND SPINACH RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a medium-hot saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter and saute garlic and shallots. Add mushrooms and saute. Season. Deglaze with red wine and reduce by 80 percent. Add veal or chicken stock, soy and thyme. Simmer mushrooms for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the other tablespoon of butter and check for seasoning. Right before serving add the spinach to wilt and the truffle oil. Check for seasoning.
• PLATING Slice the beef into 6 slices. Spoon a mound of ragout on a plate and top with slices. Garnish with chives and truffle oil.
• Wine Suggestion: 1. Ravenswood, Big River Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, 1997 2. Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne

DUCK LEG PODVAROK WITH MACEDONIAN SALAD

Steps:

• For the duck leg podvarok: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare the duck legs by trimming any excess fat. Prick the skin of each duck leg all over (6 to 8 times) with a sharp knife. Massage 1 tablespoon of salt all over the duck legs. Place them skin-side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and cook in the middle of the oven, rotating the pan halfway through, until the skin has just started to crisp and some duck fat has rendered, about 30 minutes. Transfer the duck legs to a large plate and set aside. Reserve any rendered duck fat for future use (for example, roast potatoes).
• Meanwhile, make the sauerkraut base. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the sauerkraut and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has evaporated, and the sauerkraut is starting to crisp and turn a light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the sauerkraut to a large rectangular deep-sided baking dish (9 x 14 inches) and spread it out evenly.
• Next, heat the oil in a separate, medium sauté pan on medium heat. Add the leek and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the leek is soft and jammy but not browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Add the rice and cook until warmed through and well coated in the sauteed leek, around 2 minutes. Add the paprika and cook for a further minute or so, taking care not to burn the paprika. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock and a generous grind of black pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine for no more than a minute, scraping along the bottom of the sauté pan to loosen the leek mixture. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and set aside.
• Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Put the leek mixture into the baking dish with the sauerkraut. Stir everything well to distribute the leek mixture evenly through the sauerkraut, then add the rest of the chicken stock. Place a bay leaf in each corner of the baking dish nestled in the sauerkraut mixture. Arrange the duck legs skin-side up on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Add 2 cups of water around the duck legs and over the sauerkraut mixture, or as much as needed to ensure the sauerkraut is well covered in liquid but the duck legs are only half submerged, with no liquid covering the duck skin. Sprinkle a pinch of salt all over the duck legs and sauerkraut, and top everything with a good grind of black pepper.
• Bake, uncovered, rotating the baking dish halfway through cooking and adding another 1/4 cup of water if the sauerkraut base is becoming too dry, until the duck legs are cooked through with the skin crispy and deep golden brown, and the sauerkraut has a nice golden red crust but is still moist underneath, around 70 to 75 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve either in the baking dish or transfer to a large serving platter and sprinkle with a generous pinch of Aleppo chile flakes if desired.
• For the Macedonian salad: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Spread the peppers out on a large parchment-lined baking tray and roast, turning them over once or twice during cooking, until they are soft and lightly charred on all sides, around 30 minutes. Place them in a lidded food container. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the peppers and remove and discard the stems and seeds. Cut the pepper flesh into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together the oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, shallots and parsley and gently toss with the dressing. Transfer the tomato mixture onto a salad serving platter and arrange the roasted peppers over the top. Spoon any dressing left in the bowl over the peppers. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley leaves. Serve right away.

SMOKED DUCK, SWEET CORN, AND MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In a large saute pan, heat the duck fat. When the fat has melted, add the onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn from the cob. Add the corn to the sauteed onions and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add the duck and garlic. Continue to saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the sauce, over medium heat, until the cream coats the back of a spoon, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until cooked al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and turn into a mixing bowl. Toss the pasta with the cream mixture. Add the cheese, truffle oil and chives. Toss until all the ingredients are incorporated. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate, garnish with fresh truffle shavings, if desired, and serve.