Jonagold Apple Food

STONE CHURCH FARM HEIRLOOM COUNTRY DUCK WITH OVEN-DRIED JONAGOLD APPLES AND FOIE GRAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven 150 degrees F.
• Begin by removing the duck breasts with the skins on, and set aside in the refrigerator. Remove the thighs and legs from ducks. Debone the thighs, keeping legs and thighs attached, and lightly pound. With the loose meat, shape the legs into a drumstick.
• In a large deep dish, marinate the duck legs in brandy and sugar for 1 1/2 hours. Save the brandy after marinating.
• Peel all the apples, and core them, keeping the core and peels. Slice 4 apples thinly, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 2 hours. Once they have baked, remove from oven, and small dice. Reserve remaining apples in acidulated water.
• Mix the fois gras with the diced apples, season with salt and pepper, and chill in the refrigerator.
• Pull the skin of each duck breast 3/4 of the way down, and season with salt and pepper. Place foie gras and apple mixture on flesh, place skin over to seal, and form with your hands. Using the caul fat, wrap each breast tightly and freeze for 2 hours.
• Preheat a deep fryer to 360 degrees F.
• Lightly dust the duck legs with flour and dip in beaten eggs. Place legs in corn flakes and deep fry for 2 to 3 minutes, remove, and set aside.
• Remove the duck breast from the freezer, sear on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside in the refrigerator.
• To make the mashed potatoes, simply boil the potatoes until fork tender or about 25 minutes. Add in the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper, and mash until desired consistency.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice 3 cored apples into rings and shape with a cookie cutter. Place a slice in each for 4 to 6 buttered ring molds. Using a piping bag, pipe a thin layer of mashed potatoes on the apple slices. Add a layer of thinly sliced black truffles, repeat until tower is 2 1/2 inches tall, and bake for 15 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Using the leftover peels and cores, add to the brandy in a saucepot and flambe. Once flame is gone, reduce the brandy to a light syrup and strain. Add this to the duck reduction (you may use store bought reduction if you do not have any), and reheat, but do not bring to a boil.
• Julienne the remaining apple and deep fry until crispy. Drain excess oil on a paper towel and set aside.
• Slice duck breasts and place it in a 400 degree F oven for 4 minutes. Place fried duck legs in oven and heat up for 4 minutes.
• To serve, arrange apple tower on plate. Place duck leg, breast, and sauce on plate. Garnish tower with fried apples.

JONAGOLD APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the apples and juice in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt. Continue to cook until the apple butter is thick enough to mound when spooned onto a plate, about 45 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Sterilize the 1/2-pint canning jars and lids in boiling water, following the manufacturer's instructions (or see Boiling-Water Canning, page 279). Remove the jars from the water and place upside down to drain on the prepared rack. Remove the lids from the water and dry with a clean towel. Turn the sterilized jars right side up on the rack, using tongs or a kitchen towel to protect your hands. When they are cool enough to handle, dry them with a clean towel. Set aside.
• When the apple butter is cooked, fill the hot jars according to the procedure for Raspberry Jam (page 289), and process them in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Store the unopened jars of apple butter at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once a jar is opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• For refrigerator or freezer apple butter, transfer the mixture to clean airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Or spoon into airtight freezer-safe containers, leaving at least 1 inch of headroom and freeze for up to 1 year.