Crispy Duck Baked Apples Food

CRISPY DUCK & BAKED APPLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Pull any excess fat from the duck's cavity and use a roasting fork or skewer to prick the skin of the duck all over - do this lightly as you don't want to pierce the meat. Rub the duck generously inside and out with flaky sea salt, then lay, breast-side down, on a rack over a roasting tray. Roast the duck for 3 hrs, pricking again every now and then should you happen to pass by. While the duck is cooking, score a line gently around the middle of each apple and set aside (this stops them exploding when they cook).
• After 3 hrs, remove duck from the oven and turn the heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Sit the duck on a plate and carefully pour away most of the fat from the tin. Return the duck to the rack, right way up, and continue to roast for 30 mins. Put the apples in under the duck or around the side and roast for a final 30 mins. By now you should have the crispiest duck and apples on the verge of collapse. Leave the duck to rest for 10 mins, then carve and serve with the apples.

CRISPY DUCK WITH APPLES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Break down the duck: You'll end up with 8 pieces of duck, plus the carcass and wings (for stock). Place duck breast side up on a cutting board. Use a sharp boning knife to trim away excess skin; dice and reserve for cracklings. Next, remove the wing tips at the joints; reserve for stock. Remove the first leg (drumstick and thigh) by making a cut between the thigh and the body, exposing the meat and joint. Pull the leg away from the body until you hear the joint popping; cut through the joint and detach the leg from the rest of the duck. Repeat with the other leg.
• Continue breaking down the duck: Feel for the thin breastbone that runs down the length of the breast. Cut down one side of the breastbone to the rib cage, then down the length of the breastbone. Gently cut the breast away from the carcass, sliding your knife along the rib cage as you go. (You'll encounter the wishbone towards the top of the breastbone, which you'll need to cut around to remove.) When the breast has been cut off the carcass, cut the remaining skin from the bottom of the breast. Carefully remove the tendon from the tenderloin of the breast and discard. Repeat with the other breast. Cut each breast in half and set aside.Finally, separate the drumsticks from the thighs: Turn the leg skin side down and feel for the joint that connects the drumstick to the thigh. Cut in between the joint to separate the two bones, then slice all the way through the meat and skin to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Repeat with other leg. You should now have 8 pieces of duck. Reserve the carcass and wings for stock.Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Cut the onions in half, leaving the root end intact. Season the thighs and legs with salt and pepper, then lay them skin side down on the bottom of a heavy-bottomed, wide pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and scatter the diced skin around the duck pieces; cook for 20 minutes. (As the duck is browning, don't be tempted to move or flip the duck!)
• After the legs have cooked for 20 minutes, season the breast pieces with salt and pepper. Place them skin side down into the pan with the legs. Continue to brown the duck until it's cooked through, another 25 minutes.
• Remove the duck and cracklings to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Lay the apples and onions in the pan cut side down, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat until deeply browned. Turn the apples and onions over and cover, to soften and cook through, about another 15 minutes.
• Remove the onions and apples to a platter. Drain the duck fat from the pan, add the port, and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. After the alcohol has cooked off, add the optional heavy cream and heat through. Add the duck pieces to the platter, drizzle the sauce over everything. Garnish with cracklings, fresh sage leaves, and a final sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

ROAST DUCK WITH APPLE DRESSING

Steps:

• Rinse duck and pat dry; rub with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and celery in butter until tender. In a medium bowl, combine with apple and cornbread crumbs. Mix together to make dressing (if necessary, add a little water to moisten).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fill the duck's cavity with dressing, and sew shut with kitchen twine. Rub outside of bird lightly with olive oil, and place in a shallow roasting pan or 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 80 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C.)

GRILLED CRISPY DUCK STUFFED WITH APPLES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Cut apples and onions into quarters. Remove seeds from apples and set aside. Rinse duck with cold water and pat dry. Discard giblets and organ meats. Trim all loose fat from the inner cavity. Stuff cavity with apples and onions. Sprinkle duck liberally with salt and pierce skin in several places with a fork.
• Place the duck, breast side up, in a roast holder (which is placed in a drip pan for gas grill) in the center of the cooking grate. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours, piercing the underside of the duck every 30 minutes to remove excess fat. When the duck juices run clear, and the internal temperature is 170 to 180 degrees F, remove from grill and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove apples and onions from duck cavity and place on cooking grate to crisp. Serve duck with the grilled apples and onions while still warm.

ROAST DUCK WITH APPLES AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Duck is a notoriously fatty bird. To diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the body. Rinse the duck thoroughly, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Season the bird inside and out with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
• To prepare the stuffing: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, celery seed, prunes, apples, and 4 sage leaves; season with salt and pepper; saute for 10 minutes until soft. Add the bread cubes and toss the mixture together to combine. Put the stuffing in a large mixing bowl and moisten it with a squeeze of lemon and the heavy cream; give it another toss and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the duck cavity. Rip off a foot long piece of aluminum foil and lay it on an insert rack fitted in a roasting pan, let a bit of the foil hang off the end. Lay the duck, breast-side up, on the foil; tuck the wing tips back under the duck, and fold the excess foil over the end of the duck with the stuffing. The foil will protect the stuffing from burning and falling into the delicious duck fat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roast the duck for 21/2 to 3 hours, rotating the pan every 20 minutes or so. It may seem like a bother, but it's the best way to ensure an even crispy skin. The legs will wiggle easily when the bird is done and an instant-read thermometer will register about 180 degrees F when inserted into the thigh.
• Take the insert rack out of the pan and set the duck on a cutting board to let it rest before carving. Now you have a whole lot of duck fat in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour out all but a couple of tablespoons of the duck fat into a container and reserve.
• For the gravy: Place the roasting pan, with the couple of tablespoons of duck fat, on the stove over 2 burners set on medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to make a paste. Crank the heat up to high and add the wine, cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. Add the chicken stock and remaining 4 sage leaves, season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the gravy has thickened slightly.

APPLE DUCK BREASTS

Steps:

• With the tip of a knife, do incisions like a checkerboard on the skin of the duck breasts, but DO NOT touch the flesh. In a large non-stick skillet, brown the breasts at high heat 4-5 minutes on each side, beginning with the skin side. Put the breasts in a not too deep ovenproof dish and keep cooking in a preheated oven of 350 F for about 8 minutes or until the flesh of the duck is slightly pink inside.
• Meanwhile, deglaze the skillet by keeping 2 tablespoon of the grease. Add shallots and apples at medium heat, stirring from time to time, for about 3 minutes or until apples are golden. Pour apple juice in the skillet scraping the bottom with a wood spoon to remove the browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes or until liquid has reduced by half. Add rosemary and stir. Add salt and pepper.
• When ready to serve, slice the duck breasts in bias ( / ) Distribute the slices in the plates and coat with the sauce.