Duck Parmentier With Comte Cheese Food

DUCK COTTAGE PIE (PARMENTIER DE CONFIT DE CANARD)

Steps:

• For the pepper spice mix, if using, place all of the ingredients in a spice grinder and blitz.
• For the cottage pie, warm the confit duck legs in a saucepan over a gentle heat to release the fat. Pour the fat into clean jam jars. You will need some for this dish, but save the rest for roasting potatoes on another day.
• Remove the skin from the duck legs and discard (or slice and roast for a snack). Pull away the duck meat with a couple of forks and shred it, removing and discarding any bones and gristle.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the duck fat in a saucepan. Add the shallots, thyme and ½ tsp pepper spice mix or plenty of black pepper. Allow the shallots to cook gently and once they are golden, add the wine and stock. Bring to the boil, cook for a few minutes and then add the duck meat and parsley. Stir and set aside.
• Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain well, add the warm milk and mash until smooth. Season with salt and a large pinch of pepper spice mix or some black pepper. Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6-7.
• Grease an 18x28cm/7x11in baking dish with duck fat. Pile in the meat mixture and cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for about 25 minutes, or until heated through and browned on top.
• Serve with a green salad, green beans or carrots.

DUCK PARMENTIER WITH COMTE CHEESE

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and cut them into 2 or 4 pieces depending on their size (bigger pieces will need more time to be done).
• Boil potatoes into salted water for 30 minutes (they'll be easier to mash if overcooked). Drain water and let them chill.
• Meanwhile, take duck legs off their fat and separate meat from bones and skin.
• Rinse and dry parsley. Chop it.
• Heat a pan over medium-low heat, fry duck meat with a little bit of duck fat from the can. Add parsley and leave for 10 minutes stirring often.
• Mash potatoes (you can use a a food mill or potato ricer, if you don't have any use a potato masher or heavy fork.) Pour mashed potatoes into a pan heated over low heat. Add butter, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir well.
• You can use either an ovenproof dish or individual round pastry cutters. Whatever you're using grease it with a little bit of butter and add a layer of duck topped with a layer of mashed potatoes.
• Grate Comté cheese and sprinkle on top of duck parmentier.
• Heat oven on grill position and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese has a golden color.
• Serve right away with a salad. (If you used individual round pastry cutters, separate melted cheese with a knife and carefully take cutter out.).

MUSHROOM PARMENTIER

Steps:

• For the potatoes: Steam the potatoes in a covered saucepan with about 1 inch/2.5 cm water in the bottom, until very tender, about 30 minutes.
• For the mushrooms: Clean and quarter the mushrooms. Heat just 2 tablespoons of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and saute the mushrooms until cooked and golden. Remove from the pan. Heat the other spoonful of olive oil (adding more if you need it) and saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic for 1 minute. Deglaze with the wine and reduce to no more than a spoonful. Add the stock, thyme and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until the stock has reduced by half. Knead together the flour with the last tablespoon of butter and stir it in. Cook until the liquid has thickened to a sauce, a matter of minutes. Stir in the parsley. Spoon the mixture into a gratin dish.
• For the cheese potato top: Heat the oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C. Mash the potatoes with the milk and butter until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the diced cheese. Distribute evenly over the mushroom mixture, and smooth with the back of the spoon (if you want to be very retro-housewife, make patterns with the tines of a fork or make waves with a spoon). Sprinkle over the Parmesan. Bake the gratin until bubbling hot and golden on top, about 15 minutes.

MUSHROOM PARMENTIER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C.
• Clean and quarter the mushrooms. (Dice if using portabello).
• Heat 2 of the tablespoons of the butter with one tablespoon of the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until golden. Remove from pan.
• Heat the other spoonful of olive oil (more if needed) and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic for one minute.
• Deglaze with the wine and reduce to about a tablespoon.
• Add the stock, thyme leaves and the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, cook until the stock has reduced by half.
• Combine the flour with the last tablespoon of butter in a small dish and the stir it into the sauce. Cook until the liquid has thickened to a sauce, a matter of minutes. Stir in the parsley. Spoon the mixture into a gratin dish.
• Potato Topping: Steam the potatoes in a covered saucepan with about an inch of water in the bottom, until very tender. Keep and eye on them or you will start to brown the bottom. This way of steaming the potatoes gives them a nice texture and flavour.
• Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk until very smooth, adding more milk if needed.
• Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Gruyere cheese.
• Spread over the mushroom mixture, smooth with the back of a spoon.
• Sprinkle over the Parmesan.
• Bake until golden on top, about 15 minutes.

HACHIS PARMENTIER - FRENCH PROVENCALE STYLE SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Butter a large baking dish.
• Spread the beef stew evenly in the bottom of the buttered dish.
• Into hot mashed potatoes stir butter, creme fraiche/sour cream, Dijon mustard, pinch of nutmeg, and salt & pepper to taste; beat well to combine.
• Spread mashed potatoes mixture evenly over the stew.
• Use a spatula or the tines of a fork to roughen the top of the potatoes, for good browning.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese and a pinch of garlic powder.
• Arrange the olives and sliced tomatoes attractively over the top & drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake at 375F for 25-35 minutes until hot, golden brown and bubbling!
• Garnish with snipped parsley and serve with a green salad or vegetable of your choice, and a crusty baguette. Enjoy!

RISOTTO VERDE

Steps:

• In large sauce pan bring stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
• Heat olive oil in separate large sauce pan.
• Saute garlic and leeks until softened (about 3 minutes).
• Add rice and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add half the wine to rice mixture and about 1/2 cup of the hot stock.
• Cook on medium low until all liquid has been absorbed.
• Add the remainder of stock and white wine and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, until rice is creamy. (Rice needs to absorb liquid slowly in order to have the correct consistency.).
• Stir in basil and baby spinach. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add plain yogurt and mix well.
• Serve hot.