Winter Paella With Rabbit Quail And Duck Confit Recipes

MARIA'S PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin-side down into oil and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes; set aside.
• Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 1 minute. Add green and red bell peppers, calamari, and small shrimp; cook for 2 minutes more.
• Stir in salt, saffron, tomatoes, peas, rice, and water until well combined. Add chicken thighs, and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure rice does not stick.
• Decoratively nestle clams and jumbo shrimp into the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the scallops into the paella, recover, and continue simmering until the rice is tender and the scallops firm and opaque, about 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

CHINESE-STYLE DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• Combine the peppercorns and salt in a heavy skillet and toast over moderate heat, stirring, until the salt turns off-white, about 5 minutes.
• Adjust the heat so the peppercorns do not burn, but expect them to smoke.
• Let the mixture cool slightly, then run through a spice grinder or food processor until you get a very fine powder.
• Sieve to get rid of any husks from the peppercorns.
• Set aside.
• Sprinkle about 1/3 (about 1 tbl.) of the pepper-salt generously over the duck legs, massaging it well into the skin.
• Save the rest of the pepper-salt for another use.
• Put the legs in a zip-lock bag or a glass container covered tightly with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Let come to room temperature before cooking.
• Heat a large heavy casserole over moderate heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact.
• Add 2 tbl.
• of the duck fat and swirl to glaze the bottom of the pan.
• Add the duck legs in a single layer and brown on both sides.
• Adjust the heat so the skin browns without scorching and drizzle in a bit more fat if needed.
• Remove the pot from the heat and carefully drain off any burned fat.
• Return the pot and seared duck legs to moderate heat.
• Add the duck fat and the confit seasonings.
• Nudge the legs from the bottom while the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, then adjust the heat so that the fat does not boil.
• Simmer uncovered until the duck is very tender at it's thickest part and almost falling off the bone, about 40 minutes.
• Use tongs to carefully transfer the legs to a shallow container.
• Let the fat cool until tepid, about 30 minutes, then carefully strain over the duck legs.
• Discard the solids.
• Arrange the legs so they are completely submerged in the fat, and place, uncovered, in the refrigerator.
• Once the fat congeals, cover the container tightly.
• In this state, the confit can be stored for 1 day to 2 weeks before using.
• To serve, warm the container over low heat or in a slow oven until the fat turns liquid, then remove the legs.
• Strip the legs of skin, then pull the meat from the bone in shreds.
• Discard the skin, bones and any cartilage.
• The meat is best when just taken from the bone, but you can store it in the refrigerator in shreds, just warm to room temperature before using.
• You may have to adjust the seasonings with more pepper-salt.
• The seasoned duck fat can be frozen indefinitely.
• Strain through several layers of dry cheesecloth to trap excess pepper-salt, then seal and freeze for your next batch of confit.
• On the second go-round you won't need to season the duck fat, but you will need to add 2 cups of fresh duck fat to the pot in order to cover the same amount of legs.

DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• Put the duck legs into a large container (a large, heavy-duty ziplock bag works well) and add the salt, pickling spices, garlic, onion, and thyme. Mix together thoroughly, making sure each leg is coated with the salt. Cover with plastic wrap (if not using a bag) and refrigerate for at least 18 hours and up to 2 days.
• In a very large Dutch oven or other large heavy-based pot, melt most of the fat slowly over low heat. Remove the duck legs from the refrigerator. Reserve the garlic from the marinade. Rinse each duck leg well under cold running water to rinse the salt off, and pat dry well, using paper towels.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slip the legs and the garlic into the pot of warm fat. The fat should cover the duck completely. If it does not, add more fat. Cook the legs over medium heat until the temperature of the fat reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy/ frying thermometer, then cover the pot and carefully move it into the oven. Bake at 200 degrees until the legs are fork-tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove the pot from the oven and allow the duck legs to cool in the fat for about half an hour. Have ready one or more clean containers to hold the duck legs and the fat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the legs into the containers. Remove the garlic from the pot, but do not add it to the duck legs - set it aside (see note at end of recipe).
• Allow the duck fat to cool, but do not let it solidify. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the fat over the duck legs, leaving behind any debris or juices from the duck legs, which will have sunk to the bottom of the pot. Make sure that the legs are completely covered, and tap the containers lightly on the counter to help remove any air bubbles. Reserve any remaining clear strained duck fat and store in the refrigerator.
• Refrigerate the confit until the fat hardens fully. When the fat is hard, add another 1/2 inch layer of melted fat (which you saved from earlier, in the fridge. If you did not have enough to save, you could use fresh pork lard or peanut oil) to ensure that the legs are completely sealed in fat. Refrigerate the confit to allow the legs to "mellow" and develop flavor for at least a few days and up to 1 month before using.
• To use the confit, let the fat in the container soften at room temperature. Or set the container in a pan of warm water. Take out as many pieces as you plan to use. Cover the remaining pieces with more fat or peanut oil (the confit becomes more perishable once the seal is broken, so use the rest within a week or so). Scrape away the fat clinging to the confit and use as you like or as directed in a recipe. If you are using the confit on its own in a salad, heat it under a broiler until the skin is crispy.
• Note on garlic: press the garlic through a mesh strainer. You now have an excellent garlic purée to add to sauces, stews, or to spread on bread.

DUCK QUARTER CONFIT

Steps:

• Rub the duck with salt (you don't have to use all of it), and let sit in the fridge for an hour. After an hour, brush as much of the salt off the duck.
• Pour the wine, into a dutch oven. Add the thyme and garlic, and then the duck, skin side down.
• Heat the wine to a boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook at a simmer for 2 hours.
• Remove from the liquid (and fat that has rendered), and put on a baking tray. Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes, turning half way though.
• (You could skim the fat off the wine and make a sauce from the wine if you wanted).

DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• To cook one duck, you need about 2 1/2 cup duck fat. A 4.5 lb. duck renders at least 1 cup of fat. Ask your butcher for extra duck fat, or you'll need another cooking fat to supplement. I'd use a mild lard; it's flavor isn't obtrusive. A 4.5 lb. Long Island duck typically yields about 8 oz confit meat (equal parts leg and breast meat).
• PREPARE THE DUCK: Cut the legs and each breast half from the duck. Trim any excess skin and fat from the legs and save for rendering.
• Gently but firmly pull the skin from the breast meat. Set the skin aside and put the breast and legs in a baking dish.
• Sprinkle liberally with the salt. Nestly the bay leaves, thyme and garlic among the duck pieces. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• RENDER THE FAT: Trim all the skin and fat from the carcass. Put the skin and fat, including the skin from the breasts and trimmings from the legs in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, partially covered, at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the skin from sticking.
• After about 1 1/2 hours, the skin will be a deep golden in color and crisp, meaning it has rendered almost all of its fat. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly.
• Strain the fat into a container, seal it, and refrigerate until ready to use. The crisped skin may be eaten or discarded.
• COOK THE DUCK: In a heavy, 1 1/2 qt saucepan, melt the rendered fat over low heat. Blot the duck pieces with paper towels to remove any excess salt and to dry them. Put the duck in the pan, along with garlic, thyme and bay laves. Arrange the pieces so that they're all submerged. If needed, add more lard.
• Cook, uncovered, at a very gently simmer, between 185 degrees and 195 degrees, for 2 hours. Do not stir, and never let it boil. After 2 hours, the duck confit will be very tender and will come easily off the bone.
• Lift the duck from the fat using tongs and either use imediately or cool and store, covered, in the refrigerateor for up to a week.

DUCK CONFIT PASTA

Steps:

• remove the bones from the confit, chop the meat into bite-size pieces.
• cook the fettucine according to package directions, drain, set aside.
• heat olive oil and duck fat in a skillet.
• add garlic, and shallot, cook 2 minutes.
• add apricots, cook 1 minute.
• add hazelnuts and wine, cook over low heat, stirring until reduced by half.
• add stock and duck, reduce by half, 6-8 minutes.
• stir in butter, thyme and pepper.
• mix some sauce into the fettucine.
• spoon pasta onto 4 plates.
• top each with sauce and 1 tbsp chevre.
• serve.