Duck Confit And Potato Hash Food

BLUE POTATO AND DUCK CONFIT HASH

Steps:

• In a stock pot over extremely low heat, cook the duck legs with the thyme and garlic in 3 cups of the olive oil, or enough to cover the duck legs, for 3 hours.
• Remove the duck legs from the pot and set aside to cool for 2 hours. Peel the skin off the duck legs and then pull the meat off the bone. Discard the bones and skin. The duck meat can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.
• To make the potato hash, heat a pan with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add the potatoes, shallots, and red peppers and sauté until cooked through, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes. Cook for an additional 5 minutes on low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CONFIT OF DUCK WITH HERBED POTATO CAKES

Steps:

• Mix the peppercorns, bay, shredded thyme, garlic and salt, then scatter a third of the salt mix over the base of a ceramic dish. Add the duck legs, skin-side up, in a single layer, and scatter over the remaining salt mix (Step 1, above). Cover with cling film and chill for at least 24 hrs.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Brush off any undissolved salt mix from the duck (Step 2). Tip the duck or goose fat into a large ovenproof pan and melt completely over a low heat until clear and just starting to bubble. Turn off the heat and slip in the duck legs (Step 3) - they need to be completely submerged, so top up with oil if required.
• Put in the oven and cook for 2 hrs or until a skewer inserted in the duck meat goes in really easily (Step 4). Leave the duck legs to cool in the fat. When cool enough to handle, lift them back into the cleaned dish they were salted in. Pour the fat back over the duck legs (Step 5), trying to avoid the duck juices at the bottom of the pan. Cover with cling film and chill for 12 hrs or up to 2 weeks.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To make the potato cakes, boil the potatoes whole until just tender. When cool enough to handle, peel and coarsely grate. Mix the potatoes with 1 tbsp of the duck fat, the parsley and garlic, then season. Divide the mix into 4 and flatten into patties.
• Pull the duck legs out of the fat (Step 6) and place, skin-side up, in a shallow ovenproof dish. Roast for 20 mins or until crisp all over. While the duck is cooking, heat a bit more of the duck fat in a frying pan and cook the potato cakes for 5 mins on each side until golden. Sit the duck on top of the potato cakes and serve with a few salad leaves around the plate.

DUCK CONFIT WITH POTATO LEEK RAGOUT

Steps:

• Wash sliced leeks and pat dry. Remove duck meat (with skin) from bones in large pieces, reserving meat and bones separately.
• Simmer prunes and Armagnac in a small saucepan until Armagnac is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
• Heat rendered duck fat in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook mushrooms with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook leeks with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring once or twice, until beginning to soften and brown on edges, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms.
• Bring wine, bay leaf, thyme, cloves, and zests to a boil in skillet, scraping up any brown bits. Add reserved bones, then broth and 1 cup water and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Add potatoes, leeks, and mushrooms (with any juices) and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add prunes (with any juices), remaining cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender and liquid is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. (If liquid hasn't thickened, remove lid and boil.)
• Meanwhile, cook duck meat, skin side down, covered, in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until skin is well browned and crisp and meat is heated through, about 15 minutes.
• Discard bones and bay leaf from ragout, then season with salt and pepper and serve topped with duck confit.

DUCK CONFIT WITH SAUTEED POTATOES

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and drop them into cold water until ready to cook. Drain. Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. There should be about seven cups. Rinse the slices in cold water and drain. Pat dry.
• Brown the ducks as indicated in the recipe and set aside.
• Heat the duck fat in a large, heavy skillet and add the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, shaking the skillet and stirring gently at times to redistribute the slices so that they cook evenly, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic. Toss the potatoes in the skillet and sprinkle with parsley. Serve the potatoes with the duck pieces.