Smoked Duck Sweet Corn And Mushroom Pasta Food

DUCK AND WILD MUSHROOM GUMBO

Steps:

• Rinse the duck under cold running water both inside and out. Remove any excess fat at the cavity opening and at the neck. Use a sharp boning or butcher's knife to cut the back on either side of the spine. Remove the spine and reserve for stock. Cut through the breastbone of the duck to give you 2 halves. Cut the legs from each half as well as the first two digits of the wings. Set the legs aside, and cut the breasts in half horizontally.
• Season the duck with 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until hot. Place the seasoned duck, skin side down in the pan and sear until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Turn the duck over and sear on the second side as well for an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the duck from the pan and place on a platter while you make the roux.
• Add the vegetable oil to the pan as well as the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir the roux continuously over medium heat until the color of dark chocolate, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onions, celery and peppers and garlic to the roux and stir, gently until the mushrooms and vegetables are slightly wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the beer over the vegetables and stir to incorporate. Add the stock/water to the pan with the thyme, bay leaves, Essence, cayenne pepper and the remaining 3 teaspoons of salt. Stir the pot well to ensure that the roux and the stock are well blended. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the gumbo to a boil; then lower to a simmer. Return the seared duck pieces to the pan and cook (skimming any foam that may rise to the surface), for 1 hour and 30 minutes. After an hour and a half, remove the duck pieces from the gumbo and place on a platter to cool. Once the duck is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and meat from the bones and add the meat to the gumbo. Discard the skin and bones and re-season the gumbo, if necessary.
• To serve the gumbo, ladle 1 cup into a heated soup bowl with 1/4 cup white rice. Garnish with the green onions and chopped parsley.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

DUCK AND WILD MUSHROOM GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season the duck pieces with Rustic Rub. When the oil is hot, sear the duck pieces for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the duck from the oil and set aside. Combine the remaining oil and flour in the pot. Continue to cook, stirring the mixture constantly for 12 to 15 minutes, until a medium brown roux is formed; the roux should be the color of peanut butter. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and duck pieces. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and cayenne. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Cook the mixture, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the stock and water. Bring the mixture up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours, skimming any fat that may rise to the surface. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the gumbo in shallow bowls and garnish with the rice and green onions. Serve with crusty bread.
• Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.

ROUND 2 RECIPE - SPINACH AND MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, add the canola oil. When it is hot, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they are lightly browned and have given up their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved onions, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the reserved spinach and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Toss in the pasta and cook until it is warmed through, about 2 minutes. At the last minute, stir in the basil, cheese, and olive oil. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, beat together 1 egg with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add half the spaghetti (reserve the other half for another use). Toss it well to coat and press it into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan to form a crust.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil. When it is hot, add the onion and cook until it is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside (reserve half the cooked onions for another use).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 eggs, milk, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the cheese, spinach (reserve 3/4 cup spinach for another use), and remaining half of the cooked onions. Pour the mixture on top of the spaghetti pie crust, top with tomato slices, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Place onto a baking sheet and bake until the pie is set and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

DUCK AND WILD MUSHROOM GUMBO

Steps:

• Using a sharp boning or butcher's knife, cut along either side of the backbone, remove and discard. Cut the duck in half through the breastbone. Cut the legs from each half. Remove the first 2 digits of the wings. Set the legs aside and cut the breasts in half horizontally.
• Season the duck with 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.
• Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Place the seasoned duck, skin-side down, in the pan and sear until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.
• To the fat remaining in the pan, add the vegetable oil. Stir in the flour. Using a heavy wooden spoon, stir the roux constantly over medium heat until it reaches the color of dark chocolate, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onions, celery, peppers and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beer and stir to incorporate. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves, Essence, cayenne pepper and the remaining 3 teaspoons of salt. Stir well to blend. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and return the seared duck pieces to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• With tongs, carefully transfer the duck pieces to a platter to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard. Remove the meat from the bones and return to the gumbo. Discard the bay leaves.
• To serve, ladle into large soup bowls and top each portion with about 1/4 cup of hot rice. Garnish with the green onions and chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.