Dried Cherry And Shallot Confit Food

SHALLOT-CHERRY CONFIT

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots, onion, cherries, and thyme. Cover, and cook until shallots and onion are soft and beginning to caramelize, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in sugar. Continue to cook, covered, until shallots and onion are caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add vinegar and 1/4 cup warm water. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and mixture is deep brown, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

CRISP-TENDER ROAST DUCK WITH CHERRY-ROSEMARY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Rinse the duck inside and out and pat dry. Trim any excess fat from the neck and cavity, snip off wingtips and discard. Mix 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, and sprinkle the bird inside and out. Using a paring knife, make dozens of slits through the skin and fat (taking care not to pierce the meat) all over both sides and all parts of the bird.
• Put the duck breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Take the bird out of the oven, transfer to a platter and carefully drain the fat from the pan into a measuring cup (you'll end up getting 2 to 3 cups). Return the duck to the pan, prick with the knife again, turn it breast-side down and roast another hour. Repeat each hour, roasting the duck for a total of 4 1/2 hours.
• While the duck cooks, make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon duck fat over medium heat and cook the shallots until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the cherries, stock, preserves, honey and rosemary, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, swirl in the butter and taste for salt and pepper. Set aside until the duck is finished.
• After 4 1/2 hours of roasting, turn the oven temperature up to 350 degrees F, prick the duck skin one last time, salt the skin again and return bird to the oven, breast-side up. Roast for 30 minutes until the skin is nicely browned.
• Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Gently reheat the sauce over low heat. Carve the duck, put the pieces on a serving platter and serve with sauce.

CHERRY-PORT SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in port, vinegar, cherries, and dark brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until sauce has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in remaining tablespoons of butter; season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheating when ready to use. This Recipe Appears In Grilling: Peppered Duck Breasts with Cherry-Port Sauce

DRIED CHERRY AND SHALLOT CONFIT

Steps:

• In a bowl let the cherries soak in the vinegars for 30 minutes. While the cherries are soaking, in a heavy skillet cook the shallot and the onion in the butter, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the shallot is soft. Sprinkle mixture with the sugar and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the cherries with the soaking liquid, simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until almost all the liquid is evaporated, and season the confit with salt and pepper. The confit may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated.

CRANBERRY, SHALLOT, AND DRIED-CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• In a saucepan of boiling water blanch shallots 1 minute and drain. Peel shallots and separate into cloves where possible.
• In a heavy saucepan cook shallots in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until coated well. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon vinegar and cook, stirring, until sugar mixture turns a golden caramel. Add remaining vinegar, wine, and salt and boil 1 minute. Add cherries and simmer, covered, 45 minutes, or until shallots are tender.
• Add cranberries and water and boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until cranberries burst. Transfer compote to a bowl and cool. Compote may be made 5 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Serve compote at room temperature.