Rillettes Of Duck Food

DUCK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Cut breasts from duck and discard skin and all visible fat. Reserve legs and carcass for another use.
• Brown duck neck (halved if necessary) in a dry 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, turning once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Pat duck breasts dry and season with salt and pepper, then add to pan and brown over moderate heat, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to plate with duck neck.
• Add Armagnac to pan and deglaze by boiling, scraping up any brown bits, until most of liquid is evaporated. Add 2 cups water, shallots, garlic, sliced carrot, thyme, bay leaf, kosher salt, peppercorns, and duck breasts and neck with any juices on plate and cook at a bare simmer, covered, 1 hour. Discard neck, then transfer breasts to a plate and cool. Shred duck meat, then chop.
• Pour broth through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. (If liquid measures less than 2 cups, add water.) Return to cleaned pan and add chopped carrot. Simmer, covered, until carrot is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• While carrot is cooking, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 2 tablespoons water in a cup and let soften 1 minute.
• Stir softened gelatin into hot broth until dissolved, then stir in duck meat, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into crocks (you'll have about 3 cups total) and chill, covered, until set, 3 to 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

DUCK RILLETTE

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients, except fat, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, or until everything is well mixed. Or use a food processor, taking care not to puree the mixture or let it turn into a paste. The texture should be like finely chopped meat.
• Use immediately or place in an airtight container, drizzle some of the reserved fat over the top, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

DUCK RILLETTE WITH CROSTINI

Steps:

• Pull duck meat from the bones and shred. Discard skin and bones.
• Combine the pulled meat, and all of the remaining ingredients, except for the crostini, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, or until everything is well mixed. Or use a food processor, taking care not to puree the mixture or let it turn into a paste. The texture should be like finely chopped meat.
• Serve rillette with crostini.
• If not using immediately, spoon rillette into ramekins and cover with reserved fat from the duck confit. Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Lay the leg portions on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme on each of 2 leg portions. Lay the remaining 2 leg portions, flesh to flesh, on top. Put the reserved fat from the ducks in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Top with the sandwiched leg portions. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Remove the duck from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat and reserve. Rinse the duck with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and table salt. Lay the duck on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
• Remove the duck from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. To store the duck confit, place the duck leg portions in a container, cover with the reserved cooking fat, and store in the refrigerator. Alternately, pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Cover the meat with a thin layer of some of the strained fat. The duck confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
• The excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used like butter for cooking. The tinge of duck taste in the oil is wonderful.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and brush generously with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake for 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. (Watch carefully while they are baking to make sure they don't burn.)

RILLETTES OF DUCK

Steps:

• Lay duck breast side down. With sharp knife carefully remove skin. Cut off 5 ounces (approximately 1/2 cup) duck fat, chop into fine dice; reserve. Discard skin. Remove meat from carcass, cut meat from the breast and from the thigh in strips. Do not use meat from lower leg.
• Finely mince barding fat in food processor.
• Clean vegetables. Cut onion in half horizontally and carrot in half lengthwise.
• Place barding fat and duck fat in casserole. Add water to barely cover. Set over medium heat; cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated. Fat should be almost completely melted.
• Add pork fillet, duck, garlic, onion, carrot, bouquet garni, salt and pepper and pepper corns Add 1 cup of wine; bring to boil. Cover and place over low heat so mixture is barely simmering. Cook 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; remove vegetables and aromatics. Add remaining wine; cover with damp cloth and let cool. Be sure cloth does not touch mixture.
• When lukewarm mix thoroughly with fingers. Taste, and correct seasoning.
• Fill a two-quart terrine and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least two days before eating. Serve with country bread.

DUCK-CONFIT RILLETTES

Steps:

• Shred the duck meat, discarding the skin and bones. Place the shredded meat in a food processor and add 1 tablespoon of duck fat. Pulse the machine and add enough of the remaining fat so the rillettes hold together. Season the rillettes with plenty of pepper and serve with toasted country bread. Alternatively, spoon the rillettes into ramekins, top with a layer of duck fat, and store in the refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks.