Duck Confit Crostini With Parsnip Puree And Fig Recipes

TRIO OF DUCK ROASTED BREAST, LEG CONFIT AND SEARED FOIE GRAS WITH HORSERADISH PARSNIP PUREE AND HUCKLEBERRY BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• On 4 warm dinner plates pipe the horseradish parsnip puree through a piping bag slightly off center on each plate. Spoon or ladle the huckleberry brandy sauce around the parsnip puree. Place a quarter of the hot duck confit around 1/2 of the parsnip puree towards the center of the plate. Place the sliced duck breast on top of the confit in a fanned circular fashion. Place 1 piece of foie gras on top of each breast and garnish with a sprig of parsley and fried parsnip strips.
• Duck Breasts:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• French each breast by scrapping the meat, skin and tissue off of the wing bone while keeping it attached to the breast. With the heel of a chef's knife make a clean break on the bone without creating any fragments. (You can also purchase boneless duck breasts if you desire.)
• Score the skin on each breast by lightly cutting through the skin but not into the meat. Make a criss cross pattern to allow for easy rendering. Preheat a large saute pan and add the canola oil. Season the duck with salt and pepper on all sides. Place the breasts into the skillet, skin side down. Turn the heat down to low and allow the breasts to render for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the skin is very crispy.
• Turn the breasts over and place in the oven and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove the duck and allow it to rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Slice the breast into 4 to 6 equal pieces and serve immediately. The duck should be served medium rare.
• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• Place a heavy gauge skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 ounce of canola oil to the pan and add the duck legs, skin side down. Turn up the heat to make sure that the legs are rendering but not burning. Render the legs for 15 to 20 minutes or until the skin is completely crispy. Remove the legs from the pan, saving the duck fat, and place the duck legs into a deep oven proof dish. Place the onions, garlic, celery and thyme over the duck legs. Poor the rendered duck fat over the legs and add as much canola oil as you need to completely cover the duck. Cover the dish with tin foil and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the dish and allow it to cool. Remove the duck legs from the fat and remove the skin. With a fork or small knife begin to shred and remove all the meat from the legs. The meat should be very tender and shredded into thin even pieces. This can be done days in advance and reheated when needed.
• Heat a saute pan over very high heat and allow it to get extremely hot. Place the foie gras into the pan with no oil and saute for 30 to 40 seconds on each side or until crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.
• In a large sauce pot add the potatoes and the parsnips and season with salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and parsnips and place into a blender or food processor. Add the heavy cream to form a mashed consistency. Add the horseradish and puree until very smooth and season with salt, to taste. Do not over mix. Place the mixture into a pastry (piping) bag and reserve hot for the assembly.
• In a small saucepan add all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce by 2/3 and season with lemon juice and salt.

DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• Season the duck legs with kosher salt on both sides. Place them in a large resealable bag. Add the lemon zest and slices, garlic, allspice berries, juniper berries and fresh thyme. Seal, and massage the duck legs through the bag until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Refrigerate for 24 hours to marinate.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).
• Remove the duck legs from the marinade. Rinse them off and pat dry. Place the rest of the contents of the bag into the bottom of an oven safe dish just large enough to hold the legs in a single layer, preferably enameled cast iron or glass. Arrange the duck legs skin side down in the dish. Pour the duck fat into a small saucepan and warm over low heat until liquid. Pour over the duck legs until they are completely covered. If the legs are not covered, you can top it off with some olive oil. As the legs cook, more fat will be rendered from the skin. Cover the dish with a lid.
• Bake for 6 to 7 hours in the preheated oven, until the meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove the duck legs from the fat and place in a sealable container. You may leave the bones in or remove them. Make sure there is room at the top of the container. Strain all of the solids from the remaining fat and discard the solids. Pour the fat over the duck in the container, covering completely. Seal and allow to come to room temperature. Once the jar is cool, place in the refrigerator and let the duck meat cure for 2 months. Reserve any leftover duck fat for other uses.