Duck Mousse Toast Food

ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• A day before roasting, remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the bird and discard. If necessary pluck any stray pinfeathers off the duck with tweezers. Trim the neck flap and excess fat from around the cavity. Rinse and dry the bird well. Set the duck on a rack on a baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
• Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Pierce the duck's skin all over (including the back), every 1/2-inch, with a skewer or small knife. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with 3 strips of the orange zest and the onion. Set the duck on a rack in a roasting pan, and pour a cup of water in the pan. Roast the bird for 3 hours, removing the duck from the oven every hour to prick the skin again.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the remaining orange zest, molasses, honey, coriander, pepper, orange juice, vinegar, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, over medium-high heat until warm. Remove glaze from the heat and set it aside at room temperature while the duck cooks.
• Remove the duck from the oven and carefully, pour off the excess fat from the pan. (If desired reserve this fat for frying potatoes or wilting greens.) Raise the oven temperature to 450 degree F. Return the duck to the oven and roast until crisp and brown, about 30 minutes more.
• Let the duck rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before carving. Brush the duck's skin with glaze 4 to 5 five times during the resting period. Carve the duck and transfer pieces to warm serving platter. Serve the remaining glaze at the table to drizzle over the duck, if desired.

BRAISED AND CHARRED OCTOPUS TACO

Steps:

• For the octopus: Add the octopus, red wine, chicken stock, carrots, 1 head garlic, onion, shallot and some salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to a large stockpot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the octopus, 4 garlic cloves, lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
• For the arugula salad: Toss together the arugula, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper in a bowl.
• For the olive tapenade: Add the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the black olives, Kalamata olives, green olives, pistachios, basil, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Pulse to a chunky puree.
• Add 1/2 cup of the tapenade to the arugula salad.
• For the pickled carrots: Bring the vinegar, salt and sugar to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Add the carrots and Thai chiles and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
• For the zesty yogurt: In a food processor, blend the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, a decent amount of salt, and a pinch each of black pepper and red pepper flakes.
• To plate: Top a tortilla with arugula salad followed by 3 to 4 baby octopus and some pickled carrots. Drizzle with zesty yogurt.

DUCK LIVER MOUSSE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Place the livers in a bowl and add the milk to cover. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain well and pat livers dry.
• In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp and all of the fat is rendered, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Set bacon aside. Reserve the bacon drippings. Add the livers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the pepper and cook until the livers are just slightly pink and the shallots are soft, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the cognac and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the livers are cooked through but still tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large shallow bowl to cool.
• Once cooled, place the liver mixture together with any drippings in the bowl of a food processor and add the cream cheese and 1/2 pound butter and process until smooth. Add salt to taste if necessary.
• Spoon the mixture into small ramekins or serving bowls and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 4 to 6 hours.
• While the mousse is chilling, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet and add the onions. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. If the onions begin to toughen or get too dark around the edges before they are soft and caramelized, add a bit of water, as necessary. Season the onions with salt and pepper, to taste, transfer to a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve the mousse.
• Crumble the crisp-cooked bacon into a small bowl.
• To serve the mousse, place the ramekins on a plate and serve with the toasted croutons. The caramelized onions and crumbled bacon should be nearby in small bowls for guests to garnish their mousse-spread croutons. (Alternatively, spread the mousse on the croutons and garnish with the onions and crumbled bacon and pass the assembled hors d'oeuvres on a platter.)