Braised Duck With Giblets Parsley And Shallots Recipes

BRAISED DUCK WITH TURNIPS

Steps:

• Cut away duck backbones and discard. Cut off first 2 joints of each wing and reserve. Cut ducks into quarters. Remove any fat. Pat duck pieces dry with paper towels. Pierce skin all over with fork. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add duck quarters, skin side down, and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Turn and cook 3 minutes longer. Transfer to large bowl. Add wings and giblets to Dutch oven and cook until golden, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to another bowl.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons duck fat from Dutch oven. Add onions, carrots, parsley stems, thyme and bay leaf to Dutch oven. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth, wine, giblets and wings. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Strain liquids and return to pot. Add duck quarters; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer duck to plate.
• Cook turnips in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain; cut into quarters. Combine 1/4 cup chicken broth and cornstarch in small bowl and whisk to blend.
• Skim fat from duck cooking liquid. Boil liquid until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until sauce thickens slightly. Add duck and turnips. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until duck and turnips are heated through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium heat.) Transfer to large bowl. Top with minced parsley.

BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH PLUMS AND RED WINE

Steps:

• Lay the duck legs on a baking sheet in one layer. In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, clove, allspice and cayenne. Sprinkle salt mixture evenly over duck legs on both sides. Set aside for 20 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate seasoned legs for several hours or overnight.)
• Put a wide, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add duck legs skin side down. Legs will begin to exude fat and sizzle. Let them cook, without moving them, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Turn legs and cook on other side for 10 minutes more.
• Remove browned legs from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons duck fat (save remaining fat for future use). Add diced onion to pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring to incorporate, then add wine and broth and bring to a simmer. Add cinnamon stick, star anise and bay leaf. Chop half the plums into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the simmering broth.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer duck legs to a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Pour the hot broth mixture over legs, then cover and bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more, until legs are quite tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove pot from oven and skim fat from surface. (You may prepare the dish to this point 1 to 2 days in advance, if desired.)
• Heat butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved plums cut side down and sauté for a minute or so, until lightly browned, then turn and cook on skin side for a minute more.
• Transfer duck legs to a warm platter and spoon the hot sauce over them. Garnish with sautéed plums. Mix together parsley, chives, pistachios and lemon zest. Sprinkle parsley mixture over the top and serve.

RED-WINE-BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH ROASTED PEARS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from duck legs, reserving fat for the sautéed kale. In a large bowl marinate duck legs in wine with bouquet garni, covered and chilled, 2 hours.
• Transfer legs to a plate, reserving wine and bouquet garni. In a heavy kettle large enough to hold legs in one layer heat oil over moderately high heat until hot. Pat legs dry with paper towels and season with salt. Cook legs, skin sides down, 20 minutes, or until skin is crisp and mahogany-colored, removing fat from kettle as it rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully pouring it off). Turn legs and cook until browned on other side, about 2 minutes, transferring as browned to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat from kettle and sauté vegetables with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add duck legs, skin sides up, with parsley sprigs and reserved wine and bouquet garni and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Braised duck legs may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat mixture over low heat, adding 1/3 cup water, before proceeding with duck preparation.
• Make roasted pears and onions during last hour of duck braising:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a shallow baking pan large enough to hold onions and pears in one layer melt butter in oven and swirl pan to coat. Add onion halves, cut sides down, and quarters, and bake 30 minutes. Add pears, cut side down, to pan and bake 20 minutes, or until pears and onions are tender and lightly browned. In a cup stir together lemon juice, honey, and salt and add to onions and pears, tossing to coat.
• Transfer duck legs to a warm plate and keep warm, covered with foil. Discard parsley sprigs and bouquet garni and strain liquid into a 1-quart measuring cup, reserving vegetables. Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat. Return liquid to kettle and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups. Add beurre manié, a little at a time, whisking, and boil 2 minutes. Stir reserved vegetables and minced parsley into sauce and heat through if necessary.
• Serve duck legs, with sauce spooned over them and garnished with parsley sprigs, with roasted pears and onions.

BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH SHALLOTS AND PARSNIPS

Steps:

• Prepare duck and brown vegetables:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Trim fat and skin from sides of duck legs, leaving a covering of skin on top of legs (there may be fat underneath skin). Reserve 1/2 cup fat (for cooking). Score skin on legs in a 1/2-inch crosshatch pattern, cutting through fat but not into meat.
• Coarsely chop reserved duck fat and heat in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from heat and discard any solids with a slotted spoon.
• Divide shallots, parsnips, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper between baking pans. Add 2 tablespoons rendered duck fat to each pan, reserving remainder in skillet, and toss to coat vegetables. Roast vegetables, turning occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until browned in patches, 20 to 30 minutes total.
• Brown duck while vegetables roast:
• Pat duck legs dry. Stir together allspice, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and rub all over legs. Heat fat remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 duck legs, skin sides down, until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn legs over with tongs and sauté until undersides are browned, 2 minutes more. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Brown remaining duck legs (in batches of 4) in same manner, pouring off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet between batches.
• Braise duck and vegetables:
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Divide duck legs between baking pans, nestling them, skin sides up, in vegetables. Add wine and just enough stock so that most of each leg is submerged but skins are not.
• Braise duck and vegetables, uncovered, switching position of pans halfway through braising, until duck is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours total.
• Transfer vegetables and duck with a slotted spoon to a platter. Skim fat from pan juices and serve juices, seasoned with salt and pepper if necessary, on the side.

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.

BRAISED DUCK WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove the duck's wings, giblets and neck; rinse inside and out and dry. Prick the skin of the breast and thighs with a fork. Lightly season the inside with salt and pepper; stuff with thyme and rosemary.
• Place duck, breast side down, in a large Dutch oven (preferably enamel-lined) over medium heat and brown on all sides, spooning off the fat as it renders.
• Bring stock and wine to a boil in a small pan; pour over the duck. Add the vegetables, bay leaves, lemon rind and several grindings of pepper. Cover; braise in oven until the leg meat is firm and the breast brown throughout, about 1 hour.
• Remove duck and cover loosely. Strain the stock, discard the vegetables and spoon off the fat. Boil stock until reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the olives for the final 3 to 4 minutes. (You may thicken stock slightly with a roux of flour and butter.) Adjust seasonings.
• To serve, thinly slice the breast lengthwise. Separate legs from thighs. Pour on sauce.