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  • Total time: 90 mins
  • Active time: 75 mins
  • Yield: 4 Portions

Duck Rillette:

4 Each
Duck legs
4 cloves
Garlic (chopped)
4 sprigs
Thyme
½ gallon
Duck fat*
½ tsp.
Salt
½ tsp.
White pepper

Method

  1. Cut down length of thighs and legs (skin side) exposing bone.
  2. Place thighs and legs into a pot with garlic, thyme and enough duck fat to cover legs.
  3. Bring fat to 200°F (rolling simmer) and simmer until meat starts to shred (approx. 60-75 minutes).
  4. Remove duck pieces from fat and strain on paper towels to cool. Strain duck fat and reserve for later use.
  5. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin from legs and shred meat with fork.
  6. Place duck meat in large sauté pan on medium heat and ladle in reserved duck fat while constantly tossing. Incorporate enough fat until "pasty" texture is achieved.
  7. Season meat with salt and pepper and pack into 4 2-inch ring molds (a small tuna can with both ends removed works just as well) on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm.
  8. To reheat for service, place in preheated 300°F oven until warmed through (approx. 10 minutes).

*Duck fat is available frozen at most specialty grocers; if not available, vegetable oil may be substituted.

Smoked Duck Breast:

4 each
Duck breasts
¼lb. (approx.)
Apple smoking wood
1 tsp.
Salt
½ tsp.
Black pepper

Method

  1. Cut criss-cross markings through skin of duck breasts (be careful not to pierce the flesh); season with salt and pepper.
  2. On outdoor grill, fill smoker box with wood chips and burn until chips are smoking. Turn off grill and place duck breast on sprayed sheet of foil and "cold" smoke for 20 minutes with lid closed.
  3. Remove from smoker and place duck breast fat side down in a preheated sauté pan for 5 minutes. Flip over and sear for 2 minutes. Place in 400°F oven, cook until internal temperature of 130°F (approx. 12 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-8 minutes.

Quatre Espices Sweet Potato Puree:

2 lb.
Sweet potatoes
¼ cup
Light rum
3 Tbl.
Butter, melted
¼ cup
Heavy cream
¼ tsp.
Clove, ground
¼ tsp.
Nutmeg, ground
¼ tsp.
Cinnamon, ground
½ tsp.
Salt

Method

  1. Place sweet potatoes in 400°F oven and bake until soft (approx. 60 minutes).
  2. Place rum in sauté pan and flame to burn off alcohol. Add melted butter and reserve.
  3. Peel sweet potatoes and puree in food processor with the butter–rum mixture, heavy cream and spices until smooth. Pass through sieve. Season with additional salt if necessary.

Potato Crisp:

1 each
Large russet potato
1 oz.
Duck fat (from prior step)
4 each
Lavender leaves (available from specialty grocer)
½ tsp.
Salt

Method

  1. Peel potatoes and slice very thin (almost translucent) and cut into circles using ring mold.
  2. Place potato slice on pan lined with Silpat (available at most kitchen home stores) and brush lightly with duck fat. Position lavender leaf in middle of slice. Top with another potato slice, sealing lavender in between. Repeat with remaining potatoes.
  3. Place another Silpat on top of potato crisps and bake in pre-heated 400°F oven until lightly browned (approx. 10-15minutes).
  4. Salt crisps lightly right out of oven.

Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms:

4 pieces
Bacon, raw, small dice
½ lb.
Brussels sprouts, quartered
¼ lb.
Mushrooms, maitake (portabella may be substituted), rough chop
¼ lb.
Mushrooms, oyster, rough chop
1 tsp.
Salt
½ tsp.
Black pepper
½ tsp.
Lemon zest, minced

Method

  1. Blanch Brussels sprouts in salted, boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and refresh in ice bath.
  2. In sauté pan over medium heat, cook diced bacon until most of fat has rendered down.
  3. Add Brussels sprouts and lightly brown for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft (approx. 4-5minutes). Season with salt, pepper and lemon zest.

Vanilla Lavender Nage:

¼ cup
Chicken stock
2 Tbsp.
Heavy cream
1 sprig
Lavender (fresh leaves)
1 each
Vanilla bean
4 Tbsp.
Butter, unsalted
½ tsp.
Sugar
½ tsp.
Salt

Method

  1. Reduce chicken stock by half in saucepan; add heavy cream, lavender sprig and one-fifth of vanilla bean (split).
  2. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes and slowly incorporate into saucepan over low heat, constantly whisking. Add sugar and salt, strain and set aside for plating.

Grapefruit Gastrique:

¼ cup
Sugar
¼ cup
Grapefruit juice
1 tsp.
Grapefruit zest, minced

Method

  1. Bring all ingredients to boil in small saucepot; reduce by half until syrupy. Reserve for plating.

Plating

  1. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, pipe sweet potato puree along the top of the heated entrée plate. (Pipe into a teardrop design.)
  2. Spoon one-fourth of the mushroom and Brussels sprout mixture down the left side, slightly overlapping the puree.
  3. Place rillette in the nook of the 90° angle created by the starch and vegetable.
  4. Slice smoked duck breast at an angle into 3 slices and fan on the outside edge of the rillette.
  5. Spoon the nage over the breast pieces.
  6. Spoon a small amount of the gastrique over the rillette and top with the potato crisp.
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