Le Canard A La Creme De Cassis Duck Recipes

LE CANARD A LA CREME DE CASSIS (DUCK)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place ducks in a shallow roasting pan on a rack.
• Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning halfway through baking time.
• Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the shallots until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the jelly and creme de cassis and boil until reduced and thickened.
• Cut the ducks into serving pieces and arrance on a platter.
• Stir the cherries into the sauce and heat thoroughly.
• Spoon the sauce over the ducks. Serve immediately with wild rice.

DUCK STEW: COMPOTE DE CANARD

Steps:

• Saute the duck pieces in the lard until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic and brown lightly. When the vegetables are golden brown, add the duck along with the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, allspice, bay leaves, thyme, and seasoning. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blanch the diced slab bacon in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain. Steam the pearl onions for 15 minutes. Cut off the stems and dice the mushrooms into large pieces.
• Remove the duck from the stew and discard the bones. Put the sauce and vegetables through a food mill and return to the pot, adding the diced bacon, button mushrooms, pearl onions, and the duck. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 more minutes.
• To make the croutons, cut the crusts from 10 slices of bread, and cut each slice into 4 triangles. Brown them in hot oil and keep warm. Serve the stew on individual plates, and arrange the warm croutons around the edges. Accompany with fresh pasta.

CONFIT DE CANARD (PRESERVED DUCK)

Steps:

• Cut each of the ducks or have them cut as follows: two breast pieces (the breast cut lengthwise down the center), two thighs, two legs, two wings, gizzard, liver, heart, neck and backbone. Using a sharp knife, place one piece at a time on a flat surface and cut away and reserve all the peripheral fat (the fat that extends beyond that covering the meat). Save all the cavity fat.
• Put the pieces of fat into a heavy saucepan and cook over gentle heat without browning. You want to render the fat from the solids. The solid pieces will become quite crisp and nicely browned after about 45 minutes to an hour. Strain off the fat. There should be about two and one-half cups. Discard the solids.
• Arrange the duck pieces in one layer in a large pan and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Sprinkle the pieces with the bay leaves, thyme, cloves and garlic, turning the pieces to coat them evenly with the ingredients. Arrange the pieces neatly, close together and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator or a very cool place and let stand 24 to 48 hours.
• When ready to cook, put the bony parts (back, necks and so on) on the bottom of a large saucepan or small casserole large enough to hold all the pieces. Place the meaty parts on top, all the pieces skin side down. Add the two and one-half cups of rendered duck fat and the lard. Cover closely and bring the fat to the boil. Let simmer about one hour and 15 minutes.
• Remove the pieces of duck from the fat. Separate the meaty parts from the bony parts. You may pick at the bones if desired, but the choicest portions are, of course, the meaty parts. Preserved poultry or meats will keep for an extended period of time. To preserve them further, put the portions to be reserved in a utensil and add the hot fat to cover. Let stand at room temperature until cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• When ready to use, heat the congealed fat until it is melted. Remove the pieces of duck and use as indicatd in any recipe calling for preserved duck.
• To choose an example, heat four tablespoons of the duck fat in a large heavy skillet and add the duck pieces, skin side down. Cook about four or five minutes on one side or until nicely browned. Turn the pieces and continue cooking about four or five minutes until nicely browned on the second side.