Confit Style Roast Duck Legs

yes...i'm still riding the DUCK TRAIN...

and still lovin' every bite of it. if you're game (pardon the pun...so so sorry..they just slip out and i can't help it) please do try some duck cookin'. i think you might find it interesting and a bit more flavorful than the ever popular ever so over used chicken. i am continuously looking for things that have just that little extra something. duck has that rich flavor that chicken sometimes lacks. i recently cooked some duck breasts (expensive, by the way) and i thought it tasted like a cross between a good filet mignon and a perfectly cooked chicken. sounds odd, but it was like a flying cow. the texture was meaty and the flavor was poultry. the leg and thigh are a rich dark meat that are equally as tasty, but not so expensive...2 leg/thighs run about $5.00 as opposed to 2 breasts costing around $18.00 smackers.

if you haven't tried duck, i suggest you do. i found a recipe that is fairly easy and the end result is a roasted confit-style duck, but with a fabulous crispy skin. the truth is...i've never had REAL duck confit, so i have nothing to compare it to. i must say that now after all the duck i have been making i DO have enough rendered duck fat to make a good confit. i've read that it takes a few days to do a proper job of it.

one of these days i'll get to the real deal, but for now this Easy Duck Confit recipe will do just fine.
this great recipe was found at Simple Recipes posted by Hank Shaw. many many thanks to Hank and his pals at Simple Recipes for introducing a quick Confit by making it sound so easy and SIMPLE.

EASY DUCK CONFIT

original recipe HERE

 Ingredients
Duck legs-thigh attached (at least one per person)
Salt...

duck fat.  not too much, but  have a little extra on hand for the size dish you are using and how many legs are cooking.

i also added fresh thyme to the salt rub and fresh tarragon, unpeeled garlic cloves and about 1/4 cup extra duck fat to the roasting dish as you can see in the photo above. i added the extra duck fat because my legs weren't snug in the dish and i though it would help in the confit-style cooking...not necessary if your legs are fatty (please don't take this out of context)...just use a dish that will fit the legs snug.

EDIT(10-29-2012)...from here on out i pretty much followed the method found at Simple Recipes.  it's an easy fun read so please check them out for their well thought out instructions.  

my additions were the thyme, tarragon, unpeeled garlic, extra duck fat....and i did not poke holes in the fatty duck skin...i gave it a few slashes with a sharp knife as you can see in the top photo.

make sure you save your duck fat.  mine was delicious after being infused with the herbs and garlic...i use it as "DUCK BUTTER"

PS...to those concerned.  my apologies for not following up on the "edit" 2 yrs ago as i should have...and again, many thanks for the great short-cut confit recipe.

Asian Duck Rillettes

 

the Asian flavors along with Chinese roasted duck really make this rillette different and put a little twist on a charcuterie favorite. i think i've found an easy way to accomplish a great tasting fancy treat without alot of time and effort. 

my secret trick is a Chinese style roasted duck.  i can not pass one of these up when i visit my favorite Asian market...99 Ranch.  it's like going to Costco and not getting the $4.99 roasted chicken.  these things are fabulous. all done, cooked and crispy, moist and ready to eat $14.99...amazing.  that's pretty darn good considering the normal price of a whole raw duck can be around $20.00-$30.00 bucks.

this is a quick shortcut to Duck Rillettes and  fairly easy, well... you might say alot easier than the typical duck rillette that requires the whole confit situation.  done properly a rillette takes days and loads of expensive $$$ duck fat.
  this can be done in a few hours.

ASIAN STYLE DUCK RILLETTES
what you'll need...
start with a whole roast duck. i get mine from an Asian market in Irvine called 99 Ranch.
break it down...legs, thighs, wings,  neck and head, etc...i have the deli man do it for me, but let him know you don't want it chopped up Chinese style.  i like to save the breast meat for myself, but throw the skin and fat into the pot.
2 onions, peeled and cut in quarters
3-4 smashed garlic cloves
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, bashed
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
2 jalapeno peppers halved
2-3 star anise
A few sprigs of cilantro
A few stalks spring onions (I used about 3)
Whole black peppercorns approx. 10 - 15
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tsp brown sugar
small jars with airtight lids...or ramekins if you will be eating within a week or 2

in a nut shell this is what you're gonna do...
put everything in a large stock pot and bring to a boil...then to a slow simmer for about 3 hours.  take the duck out and strain the stock.  don't use cheese cloth... you want to save as much fat as possible.  let the stock cool and separate.  let the duck cool enough so you can remove the meat from the skin and bones.  pick or fork the meat apart into small bits, by hand works best ( kinda weird, but it should resemble tuna out of the can). add a little of the stock into the bowl of meat until it is moist.  give it a good stir.  taste test time...check for seasoning.  fill little jars with your meat mixture...make sure there are no air pockets.  i released the air pockets with a fork.  you might need to add a little more stock if your meat mixture is not moist enough...flatten the top a little but leave enough room for a 1/4 inch of fat to cover the meat.  put your jars with meat mixture in the fridge for about 20 min.(this helps the layer of fat stay on top instead of soaking though the whole mixture).  remove from fridge and put the all important yummy layer of duck fat on top.  use a spoon with care or a baster to cover the meat with the pure fat that has separated and floated to the top of your cooled stock.  1/4 inch should do the trick.  you want a good seal.  close with airtight lid and refrigerate. if sealed well with the layer of fat you can save them for weeks in the fridge.  save the stock for a rainy day.  the flavor is outstanding for a quick Asian style soup.  (for example...my Duck Duck Soup)

when ready to eat, bring to room temp and enjoy.  i really like to serve this with some pickled ginger and sesame crackers.  give this a try..it's just a little labor intensive, but so rewarding when you open up your little homemade jar of charcuterie goodness.

The Silky Chicken or Black Chicken

THE ELUSIVE BLACK CHICKEN

aka THE SILKY

this is a rare bird indeed!

well, on my hunt for the "out-of-the-ordinary" i came across this lovely(?) looking creature...YIKES! can i just say YIKES again.  i must say.......this one finally stumped me.  stymied...as you might know i'm pretty adventurous with foods.  i'm no Andrew Zimmer, but i like to go for the strange stuff.  i find a good challenge and give it a go...this one got me.  i still ask myself why?...it's just a chicken, right?...well...not so much.

#1...always remember to read the fine print on the package..."head and feet intact" AND it has FIVE TOES instead of four!. i missed that part. as the thing thawed and started to unfold, and i DO mean unfold...this small little wrapped up bird was over 2 feet stretched out. AND IT"S BLUE !!!!!...you can imagine what i was thinking. i can handle alot of things, but this one was definitely high on the scale of "what the heck am i gonna do with this?" and "what was i thinking?" BUT, curiosity still had the best of me.

#2...investigate and research what your strange product is all about. i found a few sites with recipes for soup...i thought great! a new twist on an old favorite, chicken soup. not so much. as i read further, after purchase, i found that the black chicken is most used for Chinese medicinal purposes...mainly for sick people, pregnant women or just after giving birth. it's a very lean bird, does not necessarily produce a tasty unforgettable unctuous broth...and i don't really fall into one of the needy categories.

#3...keep your game face on. anyone walking in on you dismantling this black (blue) bird will think you are in need of some help...serious help...i don't mean with the soup...

so what do i do ?...i decided to wing it, of course...(again, sorry about the bad pun).

the easiest recipe i found was HERE at  eating club Vancouver by fellow bloggers ts & js.  they call it Mama's Silkie Chicken or "Dyong Kwe".  this recipe seemed easiest to tackle due to the short list of ingredients.  please visit their site for an easy and quick step by step (with photos) to see how Mama does it.

i didn't have a few of the ingredients so i just went with the recipe i use for Duck Soup found HERE.  it sounded pretty similar with Asian style flavors and such.  i thought if the flavors were basic and normal i might be able to salvage a meal or at least a good stock out of this deal....not so my friend.  after thawing, washing and the obvious photo session...i was not so enthused about the out come.  still i went ahead and threw everything in the pot and hoped for the best.  the best never came...the blue skin turned an unappealing limpy blackish grey and the flesh was unlike any chicken i had ever seen.  hmmmmm...not so good.
next, i thought to myself... get the photo of the finished product, make it look pretty and appealing and maybe it will seem more appetizing.  not so my friend...my "Mama" always warned me that looks can be deceiving...definitly correct when it comes to food photography.  the photo looked great and i was ready to give it a try, but like i said...this one stumped me. i removed the blackish grey skin that i just knew i was not going to be able to eat, to unveil the tough, lean flesh that was streaked with black...and i mean weirdly streaked with black.  at this point (hours from the start of this little journey) i had to give up for the day...throw in the towel...raise the white flag.   i strained the broth and threw everything into a tupperware for a second chance at it some other time. 
that second chance hasn't come up yet...it's in the freezer right now.  i didn't have the heart to toss it. 
i can't let this one get me.  I WILL EAT THE BLACK CHICKEN.  not today, not tomorrow...but...
I WILL NOT LET THIS BIRD WIN !!! 

Duck Duck Soup

Duck Duck Soup...Stock, Broth and rendered Duck FAT...YUMMM !


what do you do when you bring home an absolutely beautiful whole roasted duck and no one is as excited as you are?...make soup. actually it's a 3 in one bonus. you'll end up with a flavorful soup, rich stock and the always sought after and ever so expensive rendered DUCK FAT.







the broth is fabulous and rich. i like to reduce about half of the pot and keep a bit in the freezer to use with quick sauteed veggies or add into a braising liquid for just about anything. the other half goes into the soup for the night.





i found my beautiful duck fully cooked at my favorite Asian market, 99 Ranch Market in Irvine, CA. i've been fascinated with duck for a while and never tried cooking a whole one myself. #1, they are pretty expensive in regular markets (about 25-30 bucks) and #2 i've heard they are kind of tricky to cook properly. the ratio of fat to meat is not even throughout the body so it seems one must control the cooking to get the perfect roast bird. when i saw this baby hanging in the deli section i was so excited, but immediately knew it would be pricey...not so. the whole cooked duck was only $14.00...i'll take 3 please. no, i just bought one, but you can bet i was back within the week getting another. i made Asian flavor Duck Rillettes with the second. i haven't posted about it yet, but oooh they were delicious.

so, since this duck was ALL MINE i took it apart piece by piece...totally enjoyed and devoured the wings, legs and thighs on their own and set aside the breasts for the soup or stew i knew i had to make with all this ducky goodness. the meat was a little seasoned and the skin was delicious and crispy. after wiping away the carnivorous debris, i was smart enough to keep all the bones and fatty skin from the parts i had eaten and, as you can see, i had the whole body/carcass...head to tail...with all it's flavorful fatty skin and bones. everybody into the pool. what i mean is everything goes in the pot except, of course, the breasts.

DUCK STOCK
adapted from Chichajo @ 80 Breakfasts
original recipe and great blog found HERE

The bones (the whole carcass including head) of 1 Peking Duck (or roasted, as shown)
2 carrots, peeled and cut in large pieces
2 onions, peeled and cut in quarters
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, bashed
1-2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
2 jalepeno peppers halved
2 star anise
A few sprigs of cilantro
A few stalks spring onions (I used about 3)
Whole black peppercorns approx. 10 - 15
1/4 cup soy sauce

- Place everything in a stockpot and cover with water. The water should reach about an inch over the duck.
- Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that appears. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot. Let the stock simmer gently for 2-3 hours.
- Uncover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes more to reduce stock. Taste and either adjust seasoning or reduce further to deepen flavor.
strain, but do not use cheese cloth. use a regular fine strainer if you are interested in rendering as much of the duck fat as possible
- Portion as you prefer and let cool. Use immediately or store in the fridge if you’ll be using it in a couple of days…if not, freeze for future enjoyment

don't forget to render the duck fat. i like to pour the stock into 1 qt. containers and let it come to room temp. to let the fat rise to the top. then into the fridge for the fat to solidify. render the fat off each container and put into separate container...microwave the fat slightly back to liquid state and pour into an appropriate size container for storage. this will keep in the fridge like butter or you can freeze it for future use.