You need to upgrade your Flash Player. Click Here To Update Player.
share A RECIPE | THE BEST IDEAS AND RECIPES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
  • Recipe Rating Read Reviews
  • Total time: 60 mins
  • Active time: 60 mins
  • Yield: 4 Portions

Ducks

2 each
Ducks, whole, quartered
3 tsp.
Salt, divided
3 tsp.
Black pepper, divided
4 Tbl.
Vegetable oil
1 cup (combined)
Chopped carrots, celery, onion, 2 Tbl. garlic, ½ tsp. thyme
1 cup
Fresh cranberries (18-oz. can prepared whole cranberry sauce may be substituted)
1 quart
Brown veal stock (beef stock may be substituted)
1 cup
Cranberry juice
2 Tbl.
Butter
2 Tbl.
All-purpose flour
1 Tbl.
Sugar

Method

  1. Season each duck leg with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper.
  2. Sear skin side of legs in hot pan with a little oil until well browned (approx. 5 minutes).
  3. Turn and brown flesh side (approx. 2 minutes).
  4. Meanwhile, in large roasting pan, brown mirepoix in 375°F oven for 15 minutes.
  5. Place seared duck legs skin-side up on mirepoix; add cranberries and enough stock to come halfway up sides of duck legs. Cover and place in a 400°F oven until internal temperature reaches 145°F (40 minutes).
  6. In small saucepan, reduce cranberry juice until syrupy (approx. ¼ cup).
  7. In medium saucepot, melt butter and add flour, whisking to make a brown roux. (Consistency should be similar to wet cement.)
  8. Remove duck legs from roasting pan and strain cooking liquid. Remove grease from cooking liquid and slowly whisk liquid into roux over low heat. Once all liquid is incorporated, raise heat to medium and add cranberry juice reduction, sugar, 1 tsp. black pepper and up to 1 tsp. salt if needed; simmer for 20 minutes to reduce.
  9. Score skin side of each duck breast (be careful not to pierce the flesh); season each with ½ tsp. salt & ¼ tsp. black pepper. Place breasts in preheated sauté pan set over medium heat; cook until well browned and most of fat has rendered off (approx. 8 minutes).
  10. Turn breasts over and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  11. Let breasts rest for 5 minutes before slicing for service.

Sweet Potato Terrine

2 each (approx 1 lb.)
Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼"
2 Tbl.
Butter, melted
1 each
Shallots, minced
2 Tbl.
Maple syrup
2 tsp.
Thyme, minced
½ cup
Pecans, toasted and finely chopped, divided

Method

  1. Toss sweet potatoes with butter, shallots, maple syrup, thyme and ¼ cup pecans.
  2. Stack potato mixture into 3-inch ring molds on sprayed cookie sheet or in silicone cupcake molds that have been well sprayed.
  3. Sprinkle remaining pecan pieces on top and cover with foil.
  4. Bake in a 375°F oven until potatoes are soft (45-60 minutes).

Snow Peas

½ lb.
Snow peas
2 Tbl.
Kosher salt
1 Tbl.
Butter, melted

Method

  1. In saucepan, bring 1 quart water and kosher salt to boil (should taste like seawater).
  2. Add snow peas and blanch for 2 minutes; shock in ice-water bath to cool.
  3. Toss snow peas in sauté pan with melted butter before serving.

Plating

  1. Place the potato terrine off center toward the back of the plate and unmold.
  2. Place one-quarter of the snow peas to the right of the terrine.
  3. Place a leg piece of the duck against the terrine on top of the snow peas.
  4. Slice a breast in a downward angle and lean breast pieces of duck on the terrine in front of the snow peas.
  5. Drizzle 4 Tbl. of sauce where the breast meets the terrine.
Recipe Reviews