Duck Confit
Cooked and preserved in its own fat, duck confit is one of the most elegant examples of the intersection of decadence, simplicity, and economy. It’s an essential component of Cassoulet (here) and also makes a wonderful meal. It is especially good alongside a hearty side dish like Lentils with Kale and Shallots (here) or Radicchio with Pine Nuts, Currants, and Aged Balsamic (here).
[MAKES 2 DUCK LEGS; EASILY MULTIPLIED]
3 tablespoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons very finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons coarsely ground fennel seeds
2 duck legs (thigh attached)
1 cup duck fat or extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves (no need to even peel them)
2 shallots (no need to even peel them)
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, rosemary, and fennel seeds. Rub the mixture all over the duck legs, place them in a sealable plastic bag, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the duck legs from the bag and brush off the salt mixture.
Place the duck legs, fat, garlic, and shallots into a large, heavy pot or roasting pan. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and roast in the oven until the meat is tender and the fat has significantly rendered, about 2 hours. Let the duck cool to room temperature. It can sit, covered in all that fat, in the refrigerator for up to a month.
When you’re ready to eat the duck, remove it from the fat and either broil it on a rack set on a sheet pan until the skin is crisp, or brown and crisp it in a pan on the stovetop. You can also remove the skin from the duck confit, take the meat off of the bone, discard the bones, and warm the meat in a pan or in the oven before serving.
TURNING DUCK CONFIT INTO DUCK RILLETTES
Break all of the meat and skin off the bones and discard the bones. Very finely (like, extremely finely) chop the meat and the skin. Mash in the garlic and shallots that were softened during the confit, being sure to discard their skins. Add a healthy pinch of Pâté Spice (here) and saturate the meat with warm duck fat. Keep stirring the mixture as it cools so that everything is evenly emulsified. As it cools, the duck fat will solidify and the duck will become wonderfully thick and spreadable. Pack the mixture into small ramekins or into a large crock. Pour a little duck fat over the top to seal the rillettes. Store the rillettes in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks. Serve with toasted country bread and some cornichons and olives.
Chicken Liver Mousse
A mousse is a delicate thing and, while it’s easy to prepare, you must pay careful attention to it to avoid overcooking. Preparing the mousse in individual ramekins makes serving incredibly easy. To make it ahead of time, top the chilled mousse with a thin layer of aspic or clarified butter, which will keep air out and add flavor too. Serve with toasted Fruit Focaccia (here) or toasted country bread.
[SERVES 4]
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for coating the ramekins
1 small shallot, minced
1 large garlic clove, finely minced or puréed on a Microplane grater
¼ cup Pineau des Charentes (a fortified French wine) or Banyuls
¼ pound chicken livers, large veins removed and discarded, rinsed and dried
¾ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Melted Clarified Butter (here) or Aspic (see opposite; optional)
Toasted brioche, cornichons, and olives, for serving
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins and set them aside.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook, stirring a bit, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the Pineau and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cook until the alcohol burns off, just under a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the chicken livers, cream, egg, salt, and spices. Purée the mixture until completely smooth and then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pitcher or bowl. Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins, filling each about two-thirds full.
Place the ramekins in a large baking dish and transfer it to the oven. Pull the rack out a little bit and carefully pour hot water into the baking dish so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Gently close the oven door to avoid splashing hot water into the mousse.
Bake until each mousse is set and the tip of a knife comes out clean when you insert it, about 35 minutes. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the ramekins, using either tongs or oven mitts. Let them cool to room temperature.
When cool, cover with a thin layer of the melted clarified butter or aspic, if using. Set the ramekins in the refrigerator and let them cool for at least 2 hours before serving. They can be made up to 2 or 3 days in advance.
Serve cold with toast and a handful of cornichons and olives, if you’d like. Or use the mousse to make an elegant “adult PB&J” by spreading it on toasted brioche with a slick of Homemade Tomato Concentrate (here).
ASPIC
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
½ cup cold water
¼ cup Pineau des Charentes or Banyuls
Pinch sugar
Pinch coarse salt
Place the gelatin into a bowl with the cold water and stir to combine. Meanwhile, place the Pineau in a saucepan with the sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Pour the hot Pineau over the gelatin and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before spooning it over the Chicken Liver Mousse, if desired, then allow it to set completely in the refrigerator.
Salmon Rillettes with Horseradish
This recipe is an adaptation of Thomas Keller’s famous version. I first learned how to make it when I worked for him at Rakel, his long-gone restaurant that was on Varick Street in downtown Manhattan. It is possible to make this recipe in the amount of time it takes to chill a bottle of Champagne, which, incidentally, is a perfect pairing.
[SERVES 4]
¼ pound center-cut wild salmon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish or drained Pickled Horseradish (here)
1 small garlic clove, finely minced or puréed on a Microplane grater
¼ cup crème fraîche
¼ pound smoked salmon, finely diced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground white pepper
Melted Clarified Butter (here) (optional)
Leafy greens and grilled toast, for serving
Prepare a steamer for cooking. If you do not have a steamer, fill a large pot with an inch of water, place a small bowl in the center of the pot, and rest a dinner plate on top of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil and, voilà, you’ve got a steamer!
Meanwhile, remove and discard the pin bones, skin, and all the dark connective tissue from the salmon. Rub the salmon with the olive oil and season liberally with salt. Place the salmon in the steamer, or on your plate-as-steamer, cover, and cook until it’s just barely cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate to cool down; it will continue to cook as it cools.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, horseradish, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
Put the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a bowl and whip it with a whisk until it’s creamy. Beat the crème fraîche and the shallot mixture into the butter. Fold in the diced smoked salmon. Gently break the cooked salmon apart and fold it into the mix. Add the lemon juice and season the mixture with salt and white pepper.
The rillettes are now ready to be served, or they can be packed into crocks, topped with clarified butter, covered, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature with leafy greens and grilled toast.