Duckling Chassignat Recipes

UGLY DUCKLING CAKE I

Steps:

• Combine cake mix, undrained fruit, 1 cup coconut and eggs.
• Blend; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes and pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Bring butter, sugar and milk to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon over warm cake. Top with prepared whipped topping, if desired.

GRILLED STUFFED DUCKLING

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a saucepan; remove from heat and stir couscous into the water. Cover saucepan and let stand until water is absorbed completely, about 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and serrano peppers; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Mix in the cooked couscous and cayenne pepper.
• Fill the duckling's cavity with the couscous mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon butter in a thin layer over the duckling's skin. Rub skin with basil, salt, and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil.
• Preheat grill for medium heat, about 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly oil the grate.
• Place duckling on grill and cook for about 30 minutes, turning once. Remove foil; continue grilling, turning occasionally and basting with butter each time. Cook until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 25 to 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Remove the duckling from the grill, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon out the couscous and serve alongside the duckling.

CANARD ROTI AVEC GOLD LEAF (ROASTED DUCKLING)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Clean the whole duck and marinate with fresh lemon juice, salt and sugar mixture for 20 minutes, refrigerated. Place duck in a roasting pan with breast up. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and drain fat from the duck. Brush the duck with a half portion of red wine and roast the duck for 30 minutes. Drain the fat again and brush the rest of the red wine on the duck. Continue roasting the duck for another 30 minutes until the skin of the duck turns brown and crispy. Remove the duck from the oven, and remove the bones from the duck. Slice the duck into pieces and set it aside.

QUEENSLAND DUCKLING

Steps:

• Bring large saucepan with 3 quarts salted water to boil. Add duck, reduce heat and cover to simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until tender. Remove duck and strip flesh from carcass and dry with cloth. Strain cooking liquid and let cool. Once cooled, skim fat and reserve.
• Heat oil in frying pan and add duck pieces, frying 15 minutes until crisp brown on all sides. Return duck to large saucepan, add 1 3/4 cups cooking liquid, 1 cup pineapple pieces, green pepper and ginger. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove duck and rest on heated serving dish to keep warm.
• Skim any fat from surface of cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Separately combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, pepper and arrowroot, mixing well. Add this to cooking liquid and stir until it thickens and clears. Pour sauce over duck.

LONG ISLAND DUCKLING TWO WAYS

Steps:

• Prepare the breast: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Split each duck breast in half with a sharp knife. Place a large heavy skillet over high heat, and add the grapeseed oil. When oil begins to smoke, place the breasts skin side down in the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Saute until breasts are golden brown and nicely crisp on both sides, about 15 minutes total. This process will render most of the fat, which should be poured off as needed while cooking. Reserve 3 tablespoons rendered fat, and set aside. Transfer breasts to a cutting board, and let cool slightly. Remove the rib bones from the breasts; chop the bones, and combine with the other bones provided by your butcher. Set aside the breasts until they are ready to be finished in the oven. Breasts can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to 1 day if not proceeding immediately.
• Make the stock: In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon reserved duck fat over medium heat. Add all of the bones, and transfer pan to oven. Roast until bones are golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, and pour off excess fat. Return pan to stove, and place over high heat. Add 1 cup red wine; deglaze pan, stirring up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking until almost all wine has evaporated. Add chicken stock and enough water to cover the bones. Add lemon and orange zests, peppercorns, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Pour through a fine sieve into a large bowl; discard bones, and reserve stock.
• Braise the legs: Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved duck fat in a large deep-sided ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Season legs with salt and pepper, and place skin side down in the hot pan. Sear until underside is golden brown, about 6 minutes; turn, and sear until other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain off excess fat; add remaining red wine and half of reserved duck stock (the legs should be almost covered with liquid). Bring to a boil over high heat; transfer to oven. Braise, uncovered, until legs are fully cooked and tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, and transfer legs to a cutting board; set aside. Place pan over medium-high heat, and reduce braising liquid by half (until about 2 cups remain). Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon duck fat in a large saucepan, and add diced vegetables. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reduced liquid and remaining reserved duck stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove leg meat from bones, and coarsely chop. Discard bones, and add chopped meat to the simmering stock mixture. Continue to simmer 15 minutes more. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper, and set aside. The stew can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated up to a day ahead; reheat in oven while finishing the breasts.
• To serve: Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add reserved breasts skin side down. Transfer pan to oven, and roast 6 to 7 minutes; turn, and cook 2 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare. Transfer breasts to a cutting board, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Slice each breast crosswise into six or seven pieces, and serve over the stew.

DUCKLING WITH CABBAGE

Steps:

• Disjoint the duck. Remove each leg with the full thigh attached. Remove the wings, then carve off each breast in one boneless piece. Set aside the breast and leg pieces and a two-inch square of easily removed fat. The remainder of the duck is not needed.
• Combine the pepper, thyme and bay leaf and rub the mixture into the flesh side of each duck piece. Set the pieces skin side down on a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place for six to eight hours.
• At least two, not more than six, hours before serving, prepare the pickle. Select eight dark green, medium-sized leaves of Savoy and set aside. Core both kinds of the cabbage, then finely shred four cups worth of the Savoy and three cups of the green cabbage, loosely packed.
• Put the eight tablespoons of salt in a large, nonreactive bowl and add two cups of hot water. Stir until the salt dissolves, then add the rice vinegar and four cups of cold water. Dip the Savoy leaves in one by one and remove. Add the shredded cabbages and daikon, stir well, then hold the vegetables aside and put the Savoy leaves in the bottom of the bowl. Marinate one-and-a-half to two hours, or until the vegetables are translucent and limp but still firm to the bite.
• Scoop out the cut vegetables, leaving the leaves to marinate. Press the vegetables in a colander to remove all liquid, then refrigerate.
• Cook the duck legs at least one-and-a-half hours before serving. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice the reserved fat, place in a small, heavy skillet and cook over medium heat until the pan is well filmed with fat. Discard solids, wipe spices from duck legs and lay them flesh side down in the pan. Prick the fat in several places, cover the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked.
• Drain and reserve the fat. Cool the duck legs to lukewarm, then remove the skin and bones, shred the meat and set aside, covered.
• About 10 minutes before serving, preheat the broiler. Drain the Savoy cabbage leaves, pat dry and use them with the red lettuce to line four large plates. Set aside.
• Combine the pickled mixture with the wood ears (if using), chives, tarragon and half of the radishes and carrot strips. Combine the shallots in a small bowl with the salt and vinegar. Add the walnut oil, mustard, creme fraiche and pepper to the shallots, stir well and toss with the vegetables.
• Wipe the spice mixture from the duck breasts, dry the meat and skin thoroughly. With a razor blade or very sharp knife, score the skin in small diamonds. Film a heated broiler pan with the reserved fat from the duck legs, place the duck breasts on it flesh side down and broil about four inches from the heat for six or seven minutes -until the skin is brown and crisp and the meat rose-rare.
• While the breasts broil, reheat the leg shreds in a small covered pan with one tablespoon of water.
• To serve, center a portion of leg meat on each leaf-lined plate and cover completely with the cabbage mixture. Slice the breasts on the diagonal into eight pieces each and arrange four slices on top of each bed. Decorate with reserved radishes and carrots, pour any collected juices over the meat and serve at once.

STUFFED DUCKLING

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, rice, basil, rosemary, sage, parsley flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add the raisins, pecans and enough broth to moisten; toss gently., Sprinkle duck cavity with remaining salt. Lightly stuff bread mixture into duck. Place breast side up on a rack in shallow roasting pan. Prick skin well with a fork., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for duck and 165° for stuffing. Drain fat as it accumulates during roasting. Cover duck with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.

UGLY DUCKLING CAKE II

Steps:

• Sift together flour, 1 cup sugar, salt, and baking soda. Beat 2 eggs and pour over dry mixture. Add fruit cocktail. Stir together.
• Grease and flour pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes.
• Over low heat, cook together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter or margarine and coconut. Pour over cake while still hot.