Duck mania

Confit De Canard!! Sacre Bleu! kev

Peter Aitken said:

Of course I need lots of fat for the confit so I rendered the extra duck
skin and all internal fat. I got about 2 cups and if that's not enough I
will add some lard. Tomorrow the legs will be rinsed, dried, put in an oven
dish and completely covered with fat. 6 to 10 hours in a 180 degree oven and
voila!

Sounds great. Obtaining enough fat to cover it all can
be a challenge. My solution is to cook a goose every now and
then, which yields about 4-5 C.

Quoted message said:

Apparently a favored way to serve them is to remove a leg from the
fat, put in a 450 oven for 15 minutes to warm and crisp the skin, and serve
over potatoes sauteed in duck fat.

That works. I like to start them in a cast iron pan on the
stove top, flip them, then transfer to the oven.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Peter Aitken said:

Afrer buyng the new book Charcutere - a wonderful book by the way if you are
not afraid of fat - I decided that I had to make my own duck confit. It's
turned into quite a project. First I had to dissect three ducks, and their
anatomy is quite different from that of a chicken. The ix legs were set
aside to marinate with cloves and garlic for a couple of days - these will
be the confit. Then I boned the breasts. Two half breasts I froze, two will
be tonight's dinner, and two are turning into "duck prosciutto." I hope this
turns out as good as it sounds - it's quite simple. The breasts are
completely covered with salt for a day then removed, rinsed, dried, dusted
with pepper, and wrapped in cheesecloth to hang in a cool place for a week.

Of course I need lots of fat for the confit so I rendered the extra duck
skin and all internal fat. I got about 2 cups and if that's not enough I
will add some lard. Tomorrow the legs will be rinsed, dried, put in an oven
dish and completely covered with fat. 6 to 10 hours in a 180 degree oven and
voila! Apparently a favored way to serve them is to remove a leg from the
fat, put in a 450 oven for 15 minutes to warm and crisp the skin, and serve
over potatoes sauteed in duck fat.

Finally all the bones and scraps went into the stock pot. I find duck stock
to be a great base for bean soups.

Would that be Ruhlman's book Charcuterie?
http://ruhlman.com/books/charcuterie.html

I had duck confit recently in France. Astonishingly delicious. As
was the cured duck breast, which is probably a close kin to the duck
breast prosciutto you mention. I've been considering making some for
several months -- ever since I saw a recipe in one of Tom Colicchio's
cookbooks.

modom

"modom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Aitken said:

Afrer buyng the new book Charcutere - a wonderful book by the way if you
are
not afraid of fat - I decided that I had to make my own duck confit. It's
turned into quite a project. First I had to dissect three ducks, and their
anatomy is quite different from that of a chicken. The ix legs were set
aside to marinate with cloves and garlic for a couple of days - these will
be the confit. Then I boned the breasts. Two half breasts I froze, two
will
be tonight's dinner, and two are turning into "duck prosciutto." I hope
this
turns out as good as it sounds - it's quite simple. The breasts are
completely covered with salt for a day then removed, rinsed, dried, dusted
with pepper, and wrapped in cheesecloth to hang in a cool place for a
week.

Of course I need lots of fat for the confit so I rendered the extra duck
skin and all internal fat. I got about 2 cups and if that's not enough I
will add some lard. Tomorrow the legs will be rinsed, dried, put in an
oven
dish and completely covered with fat. 6 to 10 hours in a 180 degree oven
and
voila! Apparently a favored way to serve them is to remove a leg from the
fat, put in a 450 oven for 15 minutes to warm and crisp the skin, and
serve
over potatoes sauteed in duck fat.

Finally all the bones and scraps went into the stock pot. I find duck
stock
to be a great base for bean soups.

Would that be Ruhlman's book Charcuterie?
http://ruhlman.com/books/charcuterie.html

I had duck confit recently in France. Astonishingly delicious. As
was the cured duck breast, which is probably a close kin to the duck
breast prosciutto you mention. I've been considering making some for
several months -- ever since I saw a recipe in one of Tom Colicchio's
cookbooks.

modom

That's the book - highly recommended.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Peter Aitken said:

Afrer buyng the new book Charcutere - a wonderful book by the way if you are
not afraid of fat......

Mmmmm.... duck fat.

I have some recipes from a Rick Danko cooking class I attended. If
you're interested, I'll email them (confit, prosciutto, breasts, foie
gras).

nb

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Afrer buyng the new book Charcutere - a wonderful book by the way if you

are

Quoted message said:

not afraid of fat -

"Give in to the lipid side, Luke!"

Quoted message said:

and two are turning into "duck prosciutto." I hope this
turns out as good as it sounds - it's quite simple. The breasts are
completely covered with salt for a day then removed, rinsed, dried, dusted
with pepper, and wrapped in cheesecloth to hang in a cool place for a

week.

That sounds really good; I presume the use of such is pretty much
wherever you'd try "normal" prosciutto. Can't wait to hear how this
turns out.

Bob M.

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Aitken said:

Afrer buyng the new book Charcutere - a wonderful book by the way if you
are
not afraid of fat......

Mmmmm.... duck fat.

I have some recipes from a Rick Danko cooking class I attended. If
you're interested, I'll email them (confit, prosciutto, breasts, foie
gras).

nb

That would be great - thanks so much. peter(at)pgacon.com.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Peter Aitken said:

Of course I need lots of fat for the confit so I rendered the extra duck
skin and all internal fat. I got about 2 cups and if that's not enough I
will add some lard. Tomorrow the legs will be rinsed, dried, put in an oven
dish and completely covered with fat. 6 to 10 hours in a 180 degree oven and
voila!

You're not going to let it age for a few weeks at 50-55F? Where's
your sense of adventure?

-sw

Peter Aitken said:

Apparently a favored way to serve them is to remove a leg from the
fat, put in a 450 oven for 15 minutes to warm and crisp the skin, and serve
over potatoes sauteed in duck fat.

Tonight we had very thin slices of raw beef ribeye heated/cooked briefly
in demi-glace and laid on grilled slices of Italian bread; demi spooned
over. Served with sliced golden spuds sauteed with onions and a smidge
of pancetta in duck fat hanging around from the duck dinner extravaganza
for two of a couple weeks back.

Grand...

Quoted message said:

Finally all the bones and scraps went into the stock pot. I find duck stock
to be a great base for bean soups.

Agreed. And, unlike chicken stock, can be made into a very reduced sauce
and still hold its flavor.

Pastorio

notbob said:

Mmmmm.... duck fat.

Last summer I found so many mushrooms I could not freeze them any
more, so I cooked them in diluted vinegar and stored them in closed
jars. Over Xmas I had a duck which gave me nearly 400g of duck fat.
Now over lunch, if I take a slice of bread, use the duck fat as
butter, stray with salt, add some sausage, and top with one or two
vinegar mushrooms - it turns an everyday sandwich into a phantastic
delicacy!

fkoe