A Pan Cooked Pumpkin With Duck Fat And Garlic Recipes

CRISPY FRIED PUMPKIN WITH SALTED EGG YOLK

Steps:

• Place the pumpkin in a deep plate. Sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands to coat the pumpkin evenly with salt. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
• Crush the cooked yolks with a fork in a small bowl, until they are very well crumbled.
• Drain off the liquid from the pumpkin and transfer it to a big bowl. Add the cornstarch and toss to coat completely.
• Prepare a large plate and top it with a few layers of paper towels. Or prepare a medium-sized baking tray with a wire rack.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the coated pumpkin. Cook until the bottom turns crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pumpkin to cook the other side, for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns crispy throughout and cooked through.
• Turn off the heat. Transfer the cooked pumpkin using a spider strainer or a slotted spoon to the prepared plate (or rack) to drain the excess oil.
• Remove the extra oil and only save 1 tablespoon of oil by either pouring the oil into a heat-proof bowl, or using a big ladle.
• Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.
• Add the crumbled salted yolk. Cook and stir until it is thick and foaming but not browning, a few seconds.
• Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Cook and stir until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
• Add the fried pumpkin back to the pan and sprinkle the sugar over it. Stir everything together for 1 minute, or until the pumpkin pieces are evenly coated with the yolk. Transfer to a plate immediately.
• Serve hot as a side dish or over steamed rice as a main.

DINNER IN A PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Wash each pumpkin; cut a 4-in. circle around stem. Remove top and set aside; discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkins in a shallow sturdy baking pan; set aside., In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, celery and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in the soup, mushrooms, soy sauce and brown sugar. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Fold in rice; spoon into pumpkins and replace tops. Brush outsides of pumpkins with oil. , Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or just until pumpkin is tender (do not overbake). Place on individual serving plates.

JACQUES'S SKILLET DUCK WITH PARSNIPS AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Separating the duck:
• Cut off most of the fatty flap of neck skin and reserve. Insert a sharp knife into 1 breast near the shoulder joint and slice - in a semicircle - around the wishbone. Slide your finger in back of wishbone and pry it out.
• To remove the legs, lift the duck by one leg and cut through the skin all around the thigh, including the meaty piece along the backbone, called the "oyster." Grasp the leg at the knee and pull back the thigh, to expose the joint. Cut through it and pull the leg off the carcass in 1 piece. Repeat to remove the other leg. Cut the drumsticks from the thigh pieces.
• To remove the breast halves, slice along both sides of the breastbone. Lay the duck on its side, and cut through the upper shoulder joint. Hold the carcass down by the neck with one hand, grasp the shoulder section with the other, and pull off the entire breast half, in 1 piece. Repeat on the other side. Pull out the 2 slim meaty filets that remain on either side of the breastbone.
• Chop off the wing tips. Cut around the wing on 1 breast piece to free it from the breastbone; separate the largest wing joint from the other 2. Repeat on the other side.
• You should now have 12 pieces to put in the pan: 2 large breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 small breast filets, and 4 wing pieces.
• Finally, trim any loose, fatty flaps of skin from the carcass, the breast, or the leg pieces.
• Frying the duck:
• Set the pan over moderate heat. Slice the reserved neck skin into 3 or 4 strips and put them in the pan to begin rendering fat. Season the duck pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper. When there's enough fat to film the pan bottom, lay in all the pieces, skin side down (you can push aside the strips of neck skin, but leave them in the pan).
• Raise the heat to medium-high, and cook skin side down and uncovered. The duck skin will shrink and color, and lots of fat will accumulate in the pan. Check the underside of the pieces once or twice t make sure they are not burning; lower the heat slightly if necessary. Fry until the skin on all the pieces is well browned and quite crisp; the whole process should take 20 to 25 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to low. Leave the duck pieces on their skin - they should be half submerged in fat - and strew the parsnip pieces, shallots, and garlic cloves all around them in the pan. Add the rosemary and bay leaves, and sprinkle over 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover the pan, turn down the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure that the duck is gently steaming; adjust the heat as necessary.
• When the duck and vegetables are tender - pierce with a sharp knife to check - turn off the heat. Immediately lift the duck and vegetable pieces from the pan with the spoon or skimmer, allowing the fat to drain, and arrange on a serving platter.
• Pour off the clear duck fat from the pan - you will have 1 1/2 cups or so - and save for other uses. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, bring to a boil, scraping with a wooden spatula to melt all the solidified juice, and pour over the duck. Scatter chopped parsley over and serve.
• A Côtes du Rhône, Syrah, or Grenache-type wine would be good with this duck.

COOKED PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Cut pumpkin into small manageable pieces and cut off pith and seeds.
• Place cut pumpkin skin side up in a large roasting pan. Add 1/4 inch of water and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and allow pumpkin to cool.
• When cooled, cut away skin and mash or puree. Use in any recipe that calls for canned pureed pumpkin.

PAN COOKED PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Melt 10 grams of butter in large fry pan.
• Cook bacon and garlic till browned lightly.
• Remove from pan, drain on paper towel.
• Into the same pan, add boiling water and diced pumpkin.
• Cover and cook 10 - 15 minutes till tender.
• Return bacon mixture and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes.
• Add green onions and season to taste, toss gently.

ROAST DUCK WITH PORT-GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Cut off duck wing tips at joint. Combine neck, heart, gizzard and wing tips in large saucepan. Add onion, carrot and celery to pan. Add 4 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Strain stock into medium saucepan. Boil stock until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add Port and boil 5 minutes. Add reduced duck stock and boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl. Whisk into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)
• Make duck:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim excess fat from cavity of duck. Using fork, pierce duck skin in several places. Place duck, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan. Brush soy sauce over duck. Mix mustard and pressed garlic in small bowl. Brush mustard mixture over duck. Mix salt, pepper and thyme in another small bowl. Sprinkle spice-herb mixture over duck and in cavity. Roast duck 45 minutes. Turn duck and roast, breast side down, 30 minutes. Turn duck and roast, breast side up, until duck is deep golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer duck to platter. Serve with sauce.

PAN SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH PUMPKIN POLENTA

Steps:

• To make the marinade, combine the ginger, clove, vanilla bean and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 of the minced shallots. Set aside until cool. Place the duck breasts in a large bowl. Add the marinade. Cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning once. Take the duck breasts out of the marinade. Pat dry and set aside until the breasts reach room temperature. Strain the marinade and reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Brush a pie plate with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Set aside. Pour 1 cup of the chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low. Gradually add the cornmeal. Add the pumpkin puree. Whisk constantly until smooth, about 5 minutes. Spread the cornmeal into the pie plate. Place in the warm oven.
• Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the duck, fat side down, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the duck over, lower the heat to medium and cook until medium rare, about 3 more minutes. Remove the duck and set aside. Pour the marinade into the pan. Add the remaining shallots. Simmer over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain. Set aside.
• Remove the polenta from the oven. Cut into 8 wedges. Place 2 pieces on each of 4 plates. Cut the duck into thin strips crosswise and arrange around the polenta. Drizzle each plate with 2 tablespoons of sauce. Garnish with sage. Serve immediately.

A PAN-COOKED PUMPKIN WITH DUCK FAT AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and pumpkin and slice them no thicker than a generous 1/8 inch (3mm). Melt the duck fat in a shallow, nonstick pan (I choose a cast-iron one, so well used it barely needs oiling), add the potato and pumpkin slices, neatly or hugger-mugger, seasoning them with salt, black pepper, thyme or rosemary leaves, and a little chopped garlic as you go. Have the heat on low and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the slices for about twenty-five to thirty minutes. As they start to soften, press them down with a spatula so they form a sort of cake that will be golden on the bottom, with slices of potato that are soft right through. I check them for tenderness by inserting a skewer right down through the center. If it goes in effortlessly, then they are done. Serve straight from the pan.