Tea Smoked Duck Legs With Mushroom And Orzo Ragout Food

TRUFFLED MUSHROOM AND SPINACH RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a medium-hot saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter and saute garlic and shallots. Add mushrooms and saute. Season. Deglaze with red wine and reduce by 80 percent. Add veal or chicken stock, soy and thyme. Simmer mushrooms for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the other tablespoon of butter and check for seasoning. Right before serving add the spinach to wilt and the truffle oil. Check for seasoning.
• PLATING Slice the beef into 6 slices. Spoon a mound of ragout on a plate and top with slices. Garnish with chives and truffle oil.
• Wine Suggestion: 1. Ravenswood, Big River Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, 1997 2. Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne

DUCK RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Season the shallots with salt and pepper. Saute the shallots for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the duck meat. Saute for 1 minute. Stir in the reduction and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the butter and parsley. Remove from the heat and re-season if necessary. Serve over mash potatoes or cheesy grits.
• In a large saucepan, add the stock, onions, carrots, celery, and bouquet garni. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and cool. Refrigerate overnight and remove any congealed fat from the surface. The reduction can be stored in the freezer in ice cube trays for 1 month.
• Break and crack the carcass. In a large stockpot, heat the vegetable oil. Season the bones with salt and pepper. Add the bones to the pot and brown for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Season the mixture with salt. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine and tomato paste and stir to mix. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water. Put the thyme, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth, tie it together with kitchen twine, and add it to the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. Skim off any cloudy scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and cool. Refrigerate overnight and remove any congealed fat from the surface. The stock can be stored in the freezer for 1 month.

SMOKED DUCK, SWEET CORN, AND MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In a large saute pan, heat the duck fat. When the fat has melted, add the onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn from the cob. Add the corn to the sauteed onions and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add the duck and garlic. Continue to saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the sauce, over medium heat, until the cream coats the back of a spoon, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until cooked al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and turn into a mixing bowl. Toss the pasta with the cream mixture. Add the cheese, truffle oil and chives. Toss until all the ingredients are incorporated. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate, garnish with fresh truffle shavings, if desired, and serve.

TEA SMOKED DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients, except sesame/vegetable oil, for the marinade in a bath solution and place cleaned duck in it overnight.
• Hang dry and rest for at least 2 hours. Hang duck in smoking oven with hook on the upper neck.
• Place the camphor wood, brown sugar, tea twigs, if available, on a pan at the base of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Some recipes call for tea leaves but tea leaves in the sugar/camphor mixture does not add that much tea flavor to the ducks. Roast the duck for approximately 40 minutes, but depends on size of duck, type of oven, etc. For best results for a crispy skin, the last 5 to 10 minutes should be at 400 degrees F, with a final basting of sesame/vegetable oil on the skin of the duck. Duck can be flashed in hot oil to finish, if timing for service is critical.
• Cut and serve hot, with buns and sauce, optional.

BAC HA GREEN TEA SMOKED DUCK: VIT HOM KHOI

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine pepper, light soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. Stir and coat the duck and marinate for 30 minutes. Bring a fry pan to medium heat, add oil, then sear and brown the duck breasts skin-side down for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Place some foil in a wok, add green tea, sugar, rice grains, cassia bark, and star anise. Place a wire rack in the wok and cover.
• Turn heat to high until the wok begins to smoke. Now add the duck breasts skin-side up and reduce the heat to medium. Cover then allow to smoke.
• Turn off heat and allow the duck to rest in the wok for a further 5 minutes.
• Thinly slice the breasts, garnish with a combination of spring onions, chile, and coriander.
• Serve with baguette and soy/chile dipping sauce.