Wild Duck With Figs Recipes

SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH FIG SAUCE

Steps:

• For the duck breasts: Sprinkle each duck breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the duck skin-side down and reduce the heat to low, cooking as the fat slowly renders and the skin becomes crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Once the skin is crispy and golden brown, flip and continue cooking until a thermometer reads 128 to 130 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast (for medium-rare doneness), 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest about 5 minutes. It will carryover cook to about 135 degrees F. Don't tent with foil in order to ensure the duck skin will stay crispy.
• For the fig sauce: Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, reserving the excess for another use. Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the sherry and reduce by half. Next, add the chicken broth, fig jam and balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Garnish with chopped chives.
• Serve the sauce alongside thinly sliced duck breast.

ROASTED DUCK WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place a pan over high heat. Sear the ducks all around (about 2 minutes a duck). Place them in the roasting pan.
• Salt and pepper in the duck cavities and skin, brush with oil, and arrange the ducks breasts down. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the ducks breast side up, and roast for 30 minutes more. Remove them from the oven, and pour off any fat.
• Scatter the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary and thyme around the ducks. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees; then, return the ducks to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes more. Brush the duck breasts and legs with honey. Cook for 30 minutes, brushing on more honey from time to time.
• Remove the ducks from the oven, place on a platter and keep warm. Strain the vegetables, and place them in a saucepan. Add the Port, bring to a simmer and reduce by about one-quarter.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add figs and cook about 2 minutes. Add sauce from ducks, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Keep warm.
• To serve, carve the breasts and legs from the ducks. In the center of four large, warm plates, place a breast and a leg, reserving the rest of the duck for other uses. Add three figs on one side and the spinach timbale on the other. Pour the sauce evenly over the meat.

DUCK WITH FIGS AND PORT

Steps:

• Place the duck breast-side up on a cutting board. Remove and reserve the giblets and discard the liver. Break down the duck and score the breasts.
• Puree the shallots, ginger and coriander in a mini food processor. Season the duck legs and the meat side of the breasts with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the ginger mixture. Cover and refrigerate the duck and the remaining ginger mixture while you make the stock.
• Make the duck stock: Trim the excess fat from the duck bones and chop into 6 to 8 pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat; add the bones, reserved wings and giblets and brown, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes. Add the broth and enough water to cover the bones. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, about 3 hours, skimming as needed. Strain the duck stock and skim off any excess fat from the surface. (The stock can be made a day ahead. Just cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the duck legs on a rack in a roasting pan with 1/4 inch water. Roast until brown and crisp, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add the reserved ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the port and scrape up any browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Boil until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add 3 cups of the duck stock and the bay leaf and simmer until the liquid reduces by about three-quarters, about 45 minutes. Strain into a separate saucepan. Add the figs and heat until plump, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter, season generously with salt and pepper and add the vinegar. Keep the sauce warm over low heat but do not boil.
• Scrape the ginger mixture off the breasts. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Place the breasts, skin-side down, in the skillet and cook until the fat begins to render and the skin is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour off the fat. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, removing the fat as it renders, until the skin is tight and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, flip the breasts and cook until the meat is lightly browned but still medium-rare, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Thinly slice the breasts and cut the legs in half. Divide the meat among plates and top with the sauce and figs.

WILD DUCK WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Sprinkle ducks inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle necks, livers, hearts and gizzards with salt and pepper. Rub all over with oil. Place ducks, back side down, in baking dish in which they fit closely without touching. Scatter necks, livers, hearts and gizzards around them.
• Place in oven and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer to warm platter. Cut string.
• Pour and skim fat from baking dish. Add onion, shallots, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
• Add wine and stir to dissolve brown particles that cling to dish. Cook about a minute and turn off heat.
• When ducks are cool enough to handle, slice off wings and set aside. Cut off thighs and legs. Separate legs from thighs. Remove and discard skin from thighs. Add thighs to saucepan and set aside.
• Chop wings and legs into 1-inch pieces. Add chopped wings and legs to second saucepan. Scrape vegetables and cooking liquid into second saucepan. Cook down over high heat 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Let cook over high heat 10 minutes.
• Slice breast meat from each duck to produce 4 whole pieces. Remove and discard skin. Add breast meat to saucepan containing thighs. Set aside. Cover, keep warm, but do not heat.
• Put sieve in saucepan and add sauce with solids. Strain; discard solids. There should be about 1 1/2 cups.
• Use small, heavy saucepan and add sugar and vinegar. Cook this down, watching carefully until vinegar evaporates. Cook until sugar is caramel-colored. Do not burn. Add sauce. Add figs. Bring to boil and let cook over high heat about 5 minutes.
• Blend quetsch and arrowroot and stir into simmering sauce. Swirl in butter. Pour sauce over thighs and breast meat and serve with rice.

LACQUERED DUCK WITH GRILLED FIGS

Steps:

• Put all the syrup ingredients in a small, heavy-based saucepan. Add 6 tbsp water, season lightly with salt and pepper and simmer over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the syrup has reduced by just over half and is very sticky. Remove from the heat.
• Put the duck breasts skin side down in a cold frying pan (it's unusual to start frying in a cold pan, but with duck this is often a good idea - it makes the fat render slowly from under the skin, keeping the flesh really moist). Fry slowly for about 15 minutes until the skin is golden. At least 100ml/31⁄2fl oz fat will be rendered from the skin. (Once cool, keep the fat in the fridge - it's great for roasting potatoes.)
• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Sit the duck breasts skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin. Spoon a little of the syrup on top and leave for 2-3 minutes until sticky. Tip any syrup that drips into the bottom of the roasting tin back into the syrup in the saucepan, and reheat to liquefy if necessary. Repeat this technique - spooning the syrup over the duck and leaving it to stand - until there are three or four layers and you have used up most of the syrup. If it gets too thick, just add 1-2 tbsp water. Conversely, if it's too thin, add another 1 tbsp sugar. Arrange the orange slices round the duck and spoon the last splash of syrup over the top.
• Roast the duck for 8-12 minutes until done to your liking. Meanwhile, cut the figs in half lengthways, tip into a bowl and toss with the olive oil and plenty of seasoning. Heat a ridged cast-iron griddle pan (or a heavy frying pan) on the hob until very hot, then chargrill the figs for 2 minutes on each side.
• Once the duck is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 3 minutes, then cut each breast at an angle into two or three slices. Transfer to four serving plates with the orange slices and figs, and garnish with extra bay leaves and the star anise from the syrup.

DUCK WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND FIG SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut 14 figs in half lengthwise. Combine cut figs, wine, 2 cups broth and cinnamon in medium saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until thickened to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Strain sauce, pressing on solids to release juices. Discard solids. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and ginger; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth and simmer until most of liquid is evaporated, about 4 minutes. Stir in chives. Keep warm.
• Place remaining 16 figs in small glass baking dish. Drizzle honey over figs. Bake until figs are tender and honey is slightly caramelized, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle duck breasts with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in another heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook 5 minutes. Turn duck breasts over and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium-rare.
• Spoon mushrooms into center of each plate, dividing equally. Slice duck breasts and arrange atop mushrooms. Rewarm sauce and spoon over duck. Place 4 caramelized figs on each plate. Garnish with chives, if desired.