Category Archives: Duck
April 26, 2012 Duck Breast on a bed of Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes
RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale
Once again the picture says it all. The dinner couldn’t have been simpler. Exactly how I wanted it to be. Not ready for intricate dining. Matter of fact the simpler the better works for me these days.
INGREDIENTS For Cannellini Beans and Toamoes
1 cup dried Cannellini Beans
1 can diced Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, (minced)
1 Small Onion (chopped)
1 tsp of dried ground Thyme
1/2 TB of dried Basil
1 TB of EVOO
METHOD
1. Saute Onion & Garlic until Onion is translucent. Add dried Thyme & Basil. Continue to saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add the Tomatoes. (Add water if necessary). Continue cooking about 7 minutes.
3. Add Beans & Basil & cook another 7 minutes.
INGREDIENTS For the Duck Breast
2 Duck Breasts (about 1 pound)
Kosher salt & fresh Black Pepper
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
With a sharp knife score the fat of the Duck Breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Season the Duck with Salt & Pepper.
2. Warm a heavy-bottomed ovenproof grill pan over medium heat. Place the Breasts, fat side down, in the skillet to render off the fat, about 6 minutes. Reserve rendered Duck fat for another use.
3. Turn the Breasts over & sear for 1 minute. Turn the fat side down again & place the skillet into the oven to roast for 5 minutes, until Breasts are medium rare. Let the Breasts rest for 5 minutes then slice into pieces.
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February 26, 2012 Duck Confit With Butter Beans
RECIPE
A CookTale
We purchase our Duck Confit legs fully prepared in a vacuum six-pack at our fine food market, Adams Fairacre Farm, in Kingston, NY. It not only saves a great deal of time & energy, but I’m certain that they are superior to what I could concoct from scratch.
INGREDIENTS For the Duck Confit
2 Duck Confit legs
3 TB of Honey
Kosher Salt & black Pepper
INGREDIENTS For the Beans
1 TB of EVOO
1/2 an Onion (chopped)
2 Garlic Cloves (chopped)
2 oz of White Wine or Vermouth
1 sprig fresh Thyme
1 (14.5 oz) can diced Tomatoes
1 (15.5 oz.) can of Butter Beans or Cannellini Beans, (drained)
Kosher Salt & fresh Black Pepper
1/2 oz fresh Parsley, chopped
1 oz of Butter
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. To prepare the Beans, heat the EVOO in a large pan & sauté the Onion & Garlic until translucent & tender, about 7 minutes. Add the Wine, Thyme & Tomatoes & simmer for 15 minutes. Add the Beans & simmer for a further 10 minutes. Season with Salt & Pepper & add the Butter & Parsley.
3. Place Duck legs in a roasting pan. Drizzle on the Honey & roast the legs for about 10 minutes until heated through, basting with Honey half way through.
TO SERVE
Spoon the Beans on the plate & top with a Duck Confit leg. Drizzling on additional Honey is optional, but desirable.
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February 2, 2012 Duck Breast With Cranberry Cherry Sauce & Hash Browns
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RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale It doesn’t take a great deal of skill to prepare a Duck Breast. The skin is so thick with a layer of fat that a dry pan is all that’s needed, and it bastes itself. When it reaches that gorgeous brown coat, a minute or so on the meaty side, and voila there you have a delicious Duck Breast. And please remember, you always want the meat to be pink. INGREDIENTS For the Duck Breast 1 12 oz Duck Breast (serve 2) METHOD 1. With a sharp knife, score the fatty side in a diagonal crisscross. Be sure not to penetrate the meat. 2. Heat a cast iron pan to smoking & lay the Duck Breast fat side down. A meat press helps concentrate the heat. After about 8 minutes, it should have taken on a rich brown coating. Turn on the meat side for a minute or two. The internal thermometer should read 120 to 125F. (I don’t trust myself to use the “pressed finger” test to judge the doneness of the meat.) 3. Remove to a cutting board & allow it to rest for five minutes. INGREDIENTS The Dried Cherry Port Sauce 1/3 cup of dried Cherries METHOD 1. Soak the dried Cherries & Cranberries in the Port Wine. 2. In a small sauce pan heat the Red Wine Reduction, add the Cherries, Cranberries & Port Wine. Bring to a boil, reduce & simmer until well combined. 3. Off the heat, add the Butter, whisking to emulsify. If needed, add a TB of Chicken Broth to thin the sauce. |
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January 19, 2012 Confit of Duck, Wine-Braised Cabbage
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RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale How convenient to be able to purchase Confit of Duck pre-prepared six to a package. Then with my faithful FoodSaver, vacuum them, two to a bag. What a pleasure to decide on serving this delightful entree and simply reaching for it in the freezer. It turns an ordinary weeknight dinner into something special. Once again, my thanks goes to Fred Brill of Adams for fulfilling my request. The Wine-Braised Savoy Cabbage completed the plate. INGREDIENTS 2 Confit of Duck Legs 1 small head of Savoy Cabbage METHOD 1. Cut the Cabbage in quarters & remove core. Use a mandoline to thinly slice the Cabbage quarters. Place the shredded Cabbage into a large bowl. 2. Heat the Butter & Oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or a large pot. Add the Onion & sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the Cabbage & sauté until it’s coated with the Oil. Season with Salt & Pepper, then add the Bay Leaf, Cloves & Allspice. 3. Pour in the Wine, Wine Vinegar & sprinkle in the Sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to low, cover & cook for 40 minutes or until tender. Taste for seasoning. 4. Preheat the oven to 450 F. 5. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Duck Legs skin-side down & cook for 1 minute. Turn them to their meat side, place the skillet in the oven & bake the legs for 10 minutes. They should be hot & richly colored. |
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January 12, 2012 The Delectably Divine Duck
RECIPES
Serves 2
A CookTale
It was “a delectably divine dinner”. In no way an ordinary weeknight event. Three ingredients that created a complement of savory tastes. Duck Breast, Foie Gras, Fennel. The Cherry Port Red Wine Sauce added a smoothness that’s worked wonderfully with Duck. As Cathie likes to say “good enough for company”. And I’ll add “easy to prepare”.
INGREDIENTS For the Duck Breast
1 Duck Breast (Muscovy, Moulard or Pekin, preferred. Available online.)
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper (liberally applied)
METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Score the fat side of the Duck in a diagonal pattern. Season both sides.
3. Heat a cast iron pan to medium-hot, place the Duck Breast skin side down for a few minutes. Turn to the fat side, weigh it down with a meat press & grill for about 7 minutes, or until the fat has taken on a richly seared coloring & has crisped. Turn off the heat.
4. Place the pan in the 400 oven for 10 minutes. With an instant thermometer, take the internal temperature. 125F is rare & 130F is borderline between rare and medium-rare. Any more will dry out & ruin the Duck.
5. Remove & keep warm while the Foie Gras is being prepared.
INGREDIENTS For the Foie Gras
Fresh Foie Gras (cut 1/2″ slices & carefully scored diagonally)
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
METHOD
Heat a cast iron or non stick pan to smoking hot. Add the two slices & saute for 1 minute a side. Remove to a platter.
INGREDIENTS The Dried Cherry Port Sauce
1/3 cup of dried Cherries
3 ounces of Port Wine
1/4 cup of Red Wine Reduction (available from More than Gourmet through Amazon on=line)
1 TB of Butter
METHOD
1. Soak the dried Cherries in the Port Wine.
2. In a small sauce pan heat the Red Wine Reduction, add the Cherries in Port Wine.
Bring to s boil, reduce & simmer until combined. Off the heat add the Butter whisking to emulsify. To thin if needed add a TB of Chicken Broth.
INGREDIENTS For the Fennel
1/2 of a Fennel Bulb (2 slices cut vertically to 3/4″ each)
1 TB of Butter
2 dashes of Sugar
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. With a small spatula coat each slice with Butter. Season the slices with Salt & Pepper.
3. Place on a low sided baking sheet or casserole dish. Move to the oven & bake for 30 minutes. Turn the slices & continue for another 15 minutes. The slices should have taken on a highly roasted color, very tender & caramelized.
4. Remove from the oven & prepare to plate the dinner.
January 1, 2012 Foie Gras de Canard With Chanterelles & Port & Red Wine Reduction
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RECIPE
Serves 2 A CookTale 2011 had to wind down on a high culinary note. A main course of Foie Gras de Canard with fresh Chanterelles would more than accomplish it. Fred Brill, meat manager at Adam’s, made this possible on two day’s notice. Cathie, who after a couple of tough weeks, was delightfully surprised at seeing her most favorite treat served on New Year’s Eve. Accompanying the Foie Gras were fresh Chanterelles, which I luckily came upon while browsing for a head of Frisee at Sunfrost in Woodstock, one of the most well stocked fruit and vegetable farm store north of New York City. INGREDIENTS For the Foie Gras 2 slices of fresh Foie Gras (each, 4 oz & 3/4″ thick) *Available on-line through Amazon from More Than Gourmet. METHOD 1. Add 3 oz of the Red Wine Reduction & 1 oz of Port Wine to a small saucepan & gently bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for a few minutes & keep warm. 2. Generously season both slices of Foie Gras. 3. Heat a cast iron pan to high. Add the TB of EVOO, when almost smoking add the Foie Gras. Saute for 2 minutes a side, (not a second more). Place on paper toweling to drain. 4. Spoon a pool of Sauce onto each plate & top with the sauteed Foie Gras. INGREDIENTS For the Chanterelles 8 oz of fresh Chanterelles (if mushrooms are large, slice in half) METHOD 1. Clean & prepare the Chanterelles as required. 2, Heat a large saute pan to medium-high. Add the Butter & EVOO. When the sizzling stops, add the Chanterelles & toss to coat. Saute until they begin to color & tenderize, about ten minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of Chicken Stock & gently toss together, saute for another few minutes. 3. Ready to plate with the Foie Gras. |
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September 14, 2011 Vietnamese Duck Salad with Cucumber, Radishes & Peanuts
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RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale Back on August 3rd, which is starting to sound like a long time ago, The New York Times featured a recipe for a Vietnamese Duck Salad. Since I rarely make Roast Duck It was tucked it away for future reference (we usually purchase Duck Breasts). One of our favorite resources, The Smokehouse of The Catskills, began carrying an organic free range duck from a farm in the Hudson Valley. That did it! Sunday we ducked out on Roast Duck. Last evening the leftovers morphed into a zesty Duck Salad in an adaption of the Times recipe. INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup Soy Sauce METHOD 1. Whisk together the Soy Sauce, juice and zest of 1 Lime, Ginger, Sesame Oil, Rice Wine Vinegar, Fish Sauce, Jalapeno(s) and Peanut Oil. Mash the Garlic into a paste and whisk it into the Vinaigrette. 2. In a large bowl, toss together Cucumber, Radishes, Cilantro, Mint and 1 thinly sliced Jalapeno (optional) with just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat everything. Taste and season with Salt & Pepper as needed. Toss in the Peanuts. 3. Plate by placing the Salad on a bed of Bibb Lettuce, and top with the sliced Duck. Drizzle with more of the Vinaigrette, and sprinkle with Cilantro and Mint. |
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September 12, 2011 Roast Duck,Turnips Roasted in the Duck Fat, Sauteed Broccoli Rabe & Apple Peach Sauce
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RECIPE
Serves 2 With leftovers
A CookTale
The Smokehouse of The Catskills is expanding every week. The newest addition to their great meats, fowl and charcuterie is Organic Free Range Duck from a local farm in the Valley. It is so different from supermarket duck that all i can say is you have to taste it to believe it. The bright yellow fat within its cavity renders down to a great duck fat, turning simple oven roasted turnips into a gourmet side dish. Of course, in our opinion the perfect green to accompany the Duck is Garlicky Broccoli Rabe. It was a successful 9/11 birthday dinner. INGREDIENTS For the Duck 1 5 Pound Organic Free Range Duck METHOD 1. With the point of a sharp knife, lightly pierce the entire Duck breast. This will help eliminate the fat. RECIPE Madeira (or Port or Marsala) Sauce INGREDIENTS 2 ounces of Butter METHOD 1. Cut the Shallots in a fine dice. Li
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- Posted under Dinner, Duck, Vegetables
CookTeaser 