Braised Duck With Onions Recipes

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 WITH SPICED LENTILS AND LIME ONIONS

Steps:

• Cut the duck in quarters and remove the drumstick tips. Season with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper, rub all over with the garlic and place a piece of cinnamon stick on each quarter. Let sit at room temperature 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Transfer the duck to an ovenproof frying pan along with the chicken or other fat. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, lift the duck from the fat and remove and discard the skin. Cover with a wet towel until serving time. To reserve, store the duck in the cooking fat and refrigerate up to a week.
• To reheat the duck, remove from the fat if necessary, and place on a rack in a tightly covered pan. Warm in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to make the lime onions, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Saute the onions, stirring frequently, until just wilted (but not browned). Toss with the lime juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and l/2 teaspoon pepper. Keep warm. The onions can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.
• To serve, spread a bed of lentils on each serving plate. Top with a piece of duck and smother with the warm onions. Serve immediately.

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

Steps:

• Salt and pepper the duck liberally on both sides.
• Place each half, skin side down, in a large, heavy-bottomed (preferably cast-iron) pan.
• Wedge the thyme and garlic under the skin.
• Cover the pan with its lid or with foil, and place it over low heat.
• Braise for one hour (duck should crackle and sizzle gently; skin should be golden and crisp; most fat should be rendered).
• Turn duck.
• Cover pan.
• Braise for another hour, until duck bottom is well browned and meat is quite tender.
• Remove duck to a cutting board; with a poultry shear, halve the halves.
• Place two tablespoons of the reserved fat from the pan into a clean saute pan, and heat the pan to medium high.
• Place duck pieces skin side down, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, just until skin turns crisp and dark.
• Transfer to a dish.