Duckling With Cabbage Food

DUCKLING WITH CABBAGE

Steps:

• Disjoint the duck. Remove each leg with the full thigh attached. Remove the wings, then carve off each breast in one boneless piece. Set aside the breast and leg pieces and a two-inch square of easily removed fat. The remainder of the duck is not needed.
• Combine the pepper, thyme and bay leaf and rub the mixture into the flesh side of each duck piece. Set the pieces skin side down on a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place for six to eight hours.
• At least two, not more than six, hours before serving, prepare the pickle. Select eight dark green, medium-sized leaves of Savoy and set aside. Core both kinds of the cabbage, then finely shred four cups worth of the Savoy and three cups of the green cabbage, loosely packed.
• Put the eight tablespoons of salt in a large, nonreactive bowl and add two cups of hot water. Stir until the salt dissolves, then add the rice vinegar and four cups of cold water. Dip the Savoy leaves in one by one and remove. Add the shredded cabbages and daikon, stir well, then hold the vegetables aside and put the Savoy leaves in the bottom of the bowl. Marinate one-and-a-half to two hours, or until the vegetables are translucent and limp but still firm to the bite.
• Scoop out the cut vegetables, leaving the leaves to marinate. Press the vegetables in a colander to remove all liquid, then refrigerate.
• Cook the duck legs at least one-and-a-half hours before serving. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice the reserved fat, place in a small, heavy skillet and cook over medium heat until the pan is well filmed with fat. Discard solids, wipe spices from duck legs and lay them flesh side down in the pan. Prick the fat in several places, cover the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked.
• Drain and reserve the fat. Cool the duck legs to lukewarm, then remove the skin and bones, shred the meat and set aside, covered.
• About 10 minutes before serving, preheat the broiler. Drain the Savoy cabbage leaves, pat dry and use them with the red lettuce to line four large plates. Set aside.
• Combine the pickled mixture with the wood ears (if using), chives, tarragon and half of the radishes and carrot strips. Combine the shallots in a small bowl with the salt and vinegar. Add the walnut oil, mustard, creme fraiche and pepper to the shallots, stir well and toss with the vegetables.
• Wipe the spice mixture from the duck breasts, dry the meat and skin thoroughly. With a razor blade or very sharp knife, score the skin in small diamonds. Film a heated broiler pan with the reserved fat from the duck legs, place the duck breasts on it flesh side down and broil about four inches from the heat for six or seven minutes -until the skin is brown and crisp and the meat rose-rare.
• While the breasts broil, reheat the leg shreds in a small covered pan with one tablespoon of water.
• To serve, center a portion of leg meat on each leaf-lined plate and cover completely with the cabbage mixture. Slice the breasts on the diagonal into eight pieces each and arrange four slices on top of each bed. Decorate with reserved radishes and carrots, pour any collected juices over the meat and serve at once.

CRISP ROASTED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Cut the duck skin and fat into small pieces and put in a saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the fat is melted and the skin is brown and crisp, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Scoop out the duck-skin cracklings, drain on paper towels and season with salt. Reserve the duck fat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat 3 tablespoons duck fat (or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the cabbage in batches, about 1 minute per side; transfer to a baking dish. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons duck fat (or olive oil), season with salt and toss. Roast until crisp on top, about 15 minutes, then turn the wedges and roast until the other side is crisp, about 8 more minutes. Sprinkle with the duck-skin cracklings and roast 2 more minutes. Drizzle with the vinegar.

SIMMERED DUCK WITH CABBAGE & POTATO

Steps:

• Heat a small saucepan (one with a lid) on a medium heat. Season the breast, lay it skin side down in the pan and reduce the heat to the lowest it will go. Leave to sizzle for about 15 minutes, uncovered, until the skin is golden and crisp and has rendered most of its fat. Don't shake the pan or move the duck.
• Remove the duck (the meat side will be raw). Pour out just over half the fat (save it for frying vegetables another time) and turn up the heat slightly. Add the bacon and fry for 2-3 minutes until starting to crisp. Add the potato, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato looks sticky and has just started to brown at the edges.
• Tip in the cabbage and stir until glossy, then pour in the stock. Nestle the duck, skin side up, among the cabbage and potato and cover the pan. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the veg is tender and the duck cooked. Remove the duck from the pan and stir in the parsley and garlic. To serve, spoon the veg, bacon and juice on to a plate and sit the duck on top. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy the flavours of autumn.

DUCK AND CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat chicken broth to simmering.
• Add cabbage, duck meat, bamboo shoots, enoki, and shiitake mushrooms, and soy sauce.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add green onions and sesame oil; simmer for 1 minute.
• Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

ONE-PAN DUCK WITH SAVOY CABBAGE

Steps:

• Lightly score the skin of the duck breasts, then generously season with the peppercorns and a sprinkling of salt. Lay the duck breasts, skin-side down, in a non-stick sauté pan, then place over a low heat. Leave the duck for 15 mins to brown and release its fat, then flip over onto the flesh side for 5 mins.
• Remove the duck from the pan, then turn up the heat. Add the potatoes to the pan, fry until brown and crisp, then scatter over the parsley and garlic. Scoop out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, then season with salt.
• Keep the pan on the heat. Fry the bacon until crisp, then add the cabbage. Cook for 1 min, add a splash of water, then fry for 2 mins, just until the cabbage is wilted. While the cabbage is cooking, whisk any juices from the duck with the vinegar and olive oil. To serve, carve the duck breast into slices. Fan out on large dinner plates, spoon a neat bundle of cabbage on one side, then pile a serving of potatoes on the other. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

FIVE SPICE CABBAGE

Steps:

• Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add the peanut oil, swirl to coat.
• Add the shredded cabbages and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the water, cover and cook for a couple of minutes or until wilted.
• Remove lid, add sesame oil five-spice powder and stir fry for 30 seconds until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

CABBAGE AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet. Cook the onion and cabbage in the butter over medium-high heat until the cabbage is translucent.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Mix the flour and water together into a dough. Drop the dough by small spoonfuls into the boiling water and cook until firm; drain. Add the dumplings to the cabbage mixture. Season with salt to serve.