Crisp Long Island Duck With Dates Olives And Almonds Food

CRISPY ROASTED KALE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange 3 oven racks evenly spaced in the oven.
• Lay each kale leaf on a board and, with a small sharp knife, cut out the hard stem. Tear large leaves in half. Place the kale in a large bowl of water and wash it well. Drain the kale and dry it in a salad spinner. Dry the bowl, and put the kale back in the bowl.
• Toss the kale with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the kale among 3 sheet pans or roast them in batches. If you put too much kale on one pan, it will steam rather than roast and will never become crisp. Roast for 15 minutes, until crisp. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve hot.

CRISPY BALSAMIC DUCK BREASTS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, score the duck skin (fat) with diagonal parallel slashes 1/2 inch apart to make a diamond pattern, being careful not to pierce through to the flesh.
• Pour the balsamic vinegar into a shallow dish just wide enough to fit the breasts in one layer.
• Add the duck, flesh (not fat) side down; cover and leave to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature (can be marinated up to 2 hours refrigerated but remove for last twenty minutes at room temperature).
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add duck, fat side down and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes (covered to avoid spattering).
• After the 5 minutes, carefully pour the rendered fat from the pan and wipe the outside of the pan of any grease that may have dripped there before placing back on the stove.
• Turn the duck breasts over and continue to cook: about 5 minutes more for rare, 8 for medium rare, and 10 minutes for well done, but of course depending on the size of the duck breasts.
• Remove duck from pan to cutting board and slice thinly against the grain.
• Serve immediately, passing extra balsamic vinegar for drizzling if desired.

CRISP ROAST DUCK WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• This recipe yields a succulent roast duck, every morsel of which is tender and tasty, and as a by-product, a good half pint of duck fat. No cook worth her salt would waste a scrap of this precious substance, which is kept in a pot in the fridge and used for frying and flavoring.
• Trim any flaps of fat on the duck, and pull out any lumps of fat tucked inside. Rinse and dry the duck, then prick lightly all over with a skewer (about 20-30 times), trying to pierce the skin but not the flesh underneath. Rub all over with salt and sprinkle some inside the cavity.
• Put on a rack and roast upside down for 3 hours at 250° F (200° F convection). Drain the fat into a bowl, set the duck the right way up and increase the heat to 350° F (325° F convection) for 45 minutes longer, till nicely browned. Leave to stand for 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil.
• Reduce the chicken stock with the tomato and herbs to a saucelike consistency, then strain into a clean pan. Simmer the olives in water for 2 minutes to temper the flavor, then strain and stir into the sauce.
• Cut the duck into pieces and serve with the sauce.

CRISP LONG ISLAND DUCK WITH DATES, OLIVES AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• To make the duck, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a large roasting pan. Season the ducks inside and out with salt and pepper. Combine the celery, onion and thyme and stuff the mixture into the cavities of the ducks. Put the ducks in the roasting pan breast side down. Roast for 40 minutes, pouring off the fat every 20 minutes.
• Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the ducks breast side up and roast until the skin is brown and crisp, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the dates and olives and saute until the dates soften, about 6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, simmering until reduced by half. Stir in the almonds and chicken broth and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Stir in the butter, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of parsley, salt and pepper.
• Divide the duck among 4 plates, drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

CRISPY ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Trim ducks: with a sharp knife, cut away excess fat and skin from both ends of ducks. (Render fat for another use or discard.)
• Salt cavity of each duck. Prick each duck all over with a fork, about 30 times. Place them on a rack set in a large roasting pan and roast 1 hour. Prick ducks all over and turn on one side. Repeat pricking ducks all over and turn onto second side. Repeat two more times. After four hours, increase heat to 350 degrees F.
• Continue to roast 30 to 90 minutes more, pricking and turning once, according to taste: 1) For very juicy, slightly crisp ducks: Roast 15 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 15 minutes more. 2) For juicy, crisp ducks: Roast 30 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 30 minutes more. 3) For slightly drier, very crisp ducks: Roast 45 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 45 minutes more.
• Remove ducks to a carving board and let them sit 15 minutes, loosely covered. Simply cut ducks in half and serve half a duck per person; or carefully remove breast and legs from bone, making sure to keep skin intact, and cut them into 1/2-inch wide pieces. Generously season with salt and pepper before serving.

DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• To cook one duck, you need about 2 1/2 cup duck fat. A 4.5 lb. duck renders at least 1 cup of fat. Ask your butcher for extra duck fat, or you'll need another cooking fat to supplement. I'd use a mild lard; it's flavor isn't obtrusive. A 4.5 lb. Long Island duck typically yields about 8 oz confit meat (equal parts leg and breast meat).
• PREPARE THE DUCK: Cut the legs and each breast half from the duck. Trim any excess skin and fat from the legs and save for rendering.
• Gently but firmly pull the skin from the breast meat. Set the skin aside and put the breast and legs in a baking dish.
• Sprinkle liberally with the salt. Nestly the bay leaves, thyme and garlic among the duck pieces. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• RENDER THE FAT: Trim all the skin and fat from the carcass. Put the skin and fat, including the skin from the breasts and trimmings from the legs in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, partially covered, at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the skin from sticking.
• After about 1 1/2 hours, the skin will be a deep golden in color and crisp, meaning it has rendered almost all of its fat. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly.
• Strain the fat into a container, seal it, and refrigerate until ready to use. The crisped skin may be eaten or discarded.
• COOK THE DUCK: In a heavy, 1 1/2 qt saucepan, melt the rendered fat over low heat. Blot the duck pieces with paper towels to remove any excess salt and to dry them. Put the duck in the pan, along with garlic, thyme and bay laves. Arrange the pieces so that they're all submerged. If needed, add more lard.
• Cook, uncovered, at a very gently simmer, between 185 degrees and 195 degrees, for 2 hours. Do not stir, and never let it boil. After 2 hours, the duck confit will be very tender and will come easily off the bone.
• Lift the duck from the fat using tongs and either use imediately or cool and store, covered, in the refrigerateor for up to a week.