Duck Leg Farrotto With Pearl Onions And Bloomsdale Spinach Recipes

ROASTED DUCK LEGS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On the stove, heat a small roasting pan (I use one like a slightly oversized tarte tatin pan) and sear the duck legs, skin-side down over medium heat until the skin turns golden and gives out some oil.
• Turn the legs over, and take the pan off the heat while you cut the potatoes into 1-inch slices across, then cut each slice into 4. Arrange these potato pieces around the duck legs, then let a few sprigs of thyme fall over the duck and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper, before putting into the preheated oven.
• Cook for two hours, occasionally turning the potatoes, for optimal outcome, which is tender duck legs and crispy potatoes, though both will be ready to eat after 1 1/2 hours.
• Making leftovers right: If you have even a small amount of meat left, you could bag and mark it up and store it in the freezer for up to two months for future use. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

CRISPY BRAISED DUCK LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put duck legs skin side down in a skillet large enough to accommodate all ingredients comfortably. Turn heat to medium, and cook, rotating so skin browns thoroughly and evenly but do not turn over completely. Meanwhile, peel onion and carrots, trim celery and roughly chop them all.
• When skins are nicely browned, turn and sear the meat side just 1 to 2 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. Remove to a plate; remove all fat from pan except enough to moisten vegetables. Add vegetables and salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until they begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Return duck legs skin side up to pan, and add stock; it should come about halfway up the legs but not cover them. Turn heat to high, bring to boil and transfer to oven.
• Cook 30 minutes, and turn heat to 350 degrees. Cook undisturbed until duck is tender and liquid reduced, at least 30 minutes or a bit longer. Serve immediately, or let rest in a 200-degree oven for up to an hour.

CREAMED SPINACH & PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add pearl onions; cook and stir until tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, 6-8 minutes., Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach; cook, covered, until spinach is wilted, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH PEARS AND PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat off duck legs, render and save for cooking or discard. Season duck with salt and pepper.
• Melt half of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat. Brown duck evenly, about 4 minutes per side. Drain off excess fat, if desired. Transfer duck to a plate.
• Melt remaining butter in the casserole. On medium heat brown onions, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic, celery and rosemary sprigs and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is just soft , about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Deglaze with vinegar and add remaining ingredients, except pears.
• Return duck to casserole. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until wine is reduced by one third.
• Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until duck is tender.
• Add the sliced pears , cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes , until pears are tender.
• Adjust seasoning. Serve duck with the sauce.

DUCK LEG STRACOTTO

Steps:

• Trim any excess and overhanging fat from each duck breast and dry them with paper towels. Season all of the duck breasts evenly on both skin and meat side, with the kosher salt. Place them on a wire lined rack and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (ideally overnight).
• The following day, wipe any moisture that developed overnight from the surface of the duck legs. Heat a Dutch oven or braising pan on medium and place the duck legs skin side down to begin browning and rendering the fat. Allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes until almost all of the fat has rendered down and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip to the remaining side and allow to brown for 3-4 minutes. Remove the browned duck legs from the pot and carefully drain off the fat in the pot (be sure to save this fat for future cooking or roasting, it's incredibly flavorful!) leaving about 2 tablespoons of the fat and return to the heat.
• Add in the diced carrots, celery and onions. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have softened, add in the minced garlic as well as tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine and cook until the wine is a syrup-like consistency, be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan during this process.
• Add in the brown sugar, chicken stock, pureed tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, as well as cheese rinds and bring to a boil. Gently return the duck legs to the simmering pot being sure to leave just the skin unsubmerged. Cover with a lid and continue cooking in a preheated 300°F oven for 1 ½ hours.
• After 1 ½ hours, remove from the oven and add in the raisins and place back in the oven. Continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the duck meat just begins to pull away from the bone easily but is not falling apart.
• Prepare the gremolata: roughly chop the parsley leaves and toss with the toasted pine nuts as well as lemon zest. Set aside.
• Remove the entire braise from the oven and carefully lift the duck legs out and place on a wire rack lined baking sheet. Broil the duck legs for 3-4 minutes until the skin begins to crisp again. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce in the pot with salt and pepper.
• Cook the fresh pasta according to package directions and toss with the tomato sauce, top with the duck legs and then the gremolata. Alternatively you could also pull the meat off of the bones, lightly shred and fold it into the sauce before tossing with the pasta.

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.

DUCK LEG FARROTTO WITH PEARL ONIONS AND BLOOMSDALE SPINACH

Steps:

• Place the broth in a saucepan and set over low heat to keep hot.
• Pick the meat off the duck legs and discard the bones. You should end up with about 1 1/2 cups of loosely packed meat.
• In a high-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic and minced onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the farro and stir to coat in the butter, then add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of the broth. Cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the farrotto is cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add the pearl onions and sauté until well browned in spots and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Add 1 more cup broth to the farrotto and continue cooking until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add another 1 1/2 to 2 cups broth in 1/2-cup additions. After each addition, continue tasting the farrotto for doneness. It should be nearly tender with some resilience. Add the duck meat, spinach, and pearl onions. Cook until the spinach is completely wilted, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove from the heat and fold in the cheese and the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. The farrotto should be creamy and glossy. Serve.