Caution

I have told you about these duck legs before, so I won't go into great detail about them, but I wanted to add two words of caution.

First, it's worth it to go looking for the lemon grass and the ginger - they add a lot of flavor.

Second, be careful when the recipe says you can walk away for two hours once the duck legs are in the oven. The first time I made the recipe, that was fine; the second time, I nearly burned the legs and the mirepoix was definitely toast - toast that stuck like super glue to the bottom of the roasting pan and resisted even 24 hours of soaking.

Next time, I'd start checking at 1.5 hours. I wouldn't have eaten those fat-soaked veggies, anyway, but if they had burned they would have made a mess of the legs and, as it was, the legs were a tad on the dry side.

Still a fine dinner, however, so go ahead and make it. Just be cautious.

Just Ducky

Shameful confession: I've been afraid of duck. I know I'm old fashioned, but the idea of rare poultry was a turnoff. Just couldn't get my head around it - or was it my heaving stomach? Anyway, duck breast is a non-starter for me.

I also sampled some potatoes cooked in duck fat - I have to admit that the heavy flavor did not appeal to me, although I realize that my more goormay readers are wincing as they read those traitorous words.

The only other duck-based product I have tried was that orgasmically delicious tea-smoked duck that I ate at Harmony - but it was really more about the tea and the smoking than about the duck - when it arrives at the table all you can smell is tea smoke. And then there was the disastrous episode when I tried to make tea-smoked duck myself... my Dutch oven still smells of smoke and I can't get the melted ceramic off my burner.

I have read about duck confit in many places and all are enraptured but, again, the idea of duck cooked in quarts of its siblings' fat just didn't seem appealing. Maybe once it's immersed in with all those beans and sausages in a cassoulet but, all by itself? Don't think so.

However, on impulse, I had purchased four duck legs, thinking to widen my culinary horizons, then hastily stuffed them into the freezer where they languished for a couple of months, shaming me each time I rummaged past them for some more familiar ingredient. Finally, I could stand the humiliation no more. I pulled them out to thaw and went looking on the interwebs for some duck wisdom.

Again with the confit! Lots of recipes for that.

Then I stumbled across this recipe for duck legs that seemed not only simple, it didn't involve immersing the meat directly into its own fat. Rather, it is suspended on a bed of mirepoix while it cooks. Okay, now we're talking! I followed the recipe except the part about lemon grass, which I couldn't find that day either and the ginger, which I grated rather than minced.

Basically, you just season the duck legs with kosher salt and pepper, then coat them with a serious layer of Chinese five spice; make mirepoix (adding minced ginger and lemon grass to the traditional chopped onion, celery and carrot) and tumble it into an ovenproof pan, drizzle the veggies lightly with canola oil; and lay the seasoned duck legs on top. Into a 350F oven for 2 hours. No turning, no basting, no nothing for two hours! My kind of recipe, leaving plenty of time for kitchen cleanup, reading, working on that hellish jigsaw puzzle that pal Wenirs sent, and walking the dog, all before the duck comes out of the oven.

Now, the recipe did suggest deboning the duck when it emerges and mixing it back into the veggies after pouring off the inordinate amount of duck fat that renders into the bottom of the pan but one look at those poor, tired, fat-soaked leavings changed my mind. I simply plated the legs next to some wild rice and broccoli and never looked back.

The duck was perfect.* It was tender and moist with a crisp, crackling skin that tasted of the five spices. The Amateur Gourmet (new blog to me although it has been in existence since '04) promised that this recipe would be a keeper and he wasn't kidding; it's definitely going into my recipe file for lots of future meals. It's good enough to serve to guests, an easy and relatively unusual party dish that would leave me free to spend time with my friends instead of frantically stirring things in the kitchen.

I'm still not okay with rare poultry but I am liberated. I am no longer afraid of duck.

*I made this again subsequently and came up with two cautions:

First, it's worth it to go looking for the lemon grass and the ginger - they add a lot of flavor.

Second, be careful when the recipe says you can walk away for two hours once the duck legs are in the oven. The first time I made the recipe, that was fine; the second time, I nearly burned the legs and the mirepoix was definitely toast. Next time, I'd start checking at 1.5 hours. I wouldn't have eaten those fat-soaked veggies, anyway, but if they had burned they would have made a mess of the legs and, as it was, the legs were just a tad on the dry side.

Smokin'

I apologize for the quality of the photo - it's always difficult to get good pictures in a restaurant - but not for the quality of the food. The black lump with the sprig of cilantro on the right side of the rice is tea-smoked duck that we enjoyed at lunch at Harmony in the Strawberry Village shopping center in Mill Valley. You can really taste the tea and the smoke as separate flavors in the rich meat. I am inspired to try tea-smoking something - it's dynamite! Must go online and figure out how to do that.

If you are reading this locally, I can recommend the restaurant. The interior is tasteful and restful and interesting. The food we tried was all very good (great Chinese chicken salad and minced lamb with raddichio leaves that I didn't get pictures of) and they were quite helpful and patient with our four year old granddaughter who had a splendid time. She asked very politely, "Pamma (Pam+Gramma=me), may I please have another piece of tea-smoked duck?" with a smile to melt your heart. Turns out she adores tea-smoked duck. My Beloved's daughter and son-in-law are happily raising a foodie.

Neighbor Favors, Part Two

Probably the most talented home cook I know is my brother's wife, Ann, who has been known to make Julia Child's cassoulet from scratch, including making her own sausage to start. Imagine! When I received a gift of duck legs from my neighbor Theresa, I thought briefly about making that hallowed recipe but once I started reading it, I changed my mind. Even retired, I don't have that kind of time and with three kinds of meat needing immediate preparation, I really didn't have that kind of time.

Instead, I did what I usually do - I improvised. I read a number of online recipes as well as Mrs. Child's and came up with a version that incorporates, I hope, most of the wonders of this plain and hearty dish with a bit less of the fuss. I didn't have confit duck legs, so it wasn't the same, but I like to think it's still pretty good.

Impromptu Cassoulet

2 links of spicy Italian sausage (or bulk spicy sausage)
2 duck legs, cut into four pieces each (I used a big, heavy knife to chop through the bones)
1 cup small dry white beans, such as Navy beans
1 quart beef broth
1 bouquet garni* including 1 bay leaf (1/2 if it's a California bay leaf), 2 sprigs fresh thyme, a small bunch of fresh flat leafed parsley, 5 or so whole peppercorns, 2 sprigs of celery leaves)
olive oil
2 carrots, cut in 1" chunks
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Quick-soak beans by covering them in with water by about 1" and bringing them to a boil. Off the heat, let them sit for about an hour. (You can also soak them without boiling overnight or for at least 8 hours if you have lots of time).

While the beans are soaking, squeeze dollops of the Italian sausage out of the casings and into a preheated, oiled pan. Brown the sausage, then set aside. In the same pan, brown the duck legs thoroughly and remove the skin (you can make cracklings from the skin if you slowly fry it in a separate pan and I have heard that the rendered duck fat from this process is heaven to cook with, although I haven't tried it myself as yet). Set aside. Pour out most of the fat from the pan, then add the carrots and onion and cook until soft, deglaze with a little of the beef broth so you get all the goodies.

After the hour of soaking, drain the water from the beans and replace it with the beef broth; if you don't have enough broth, add some water - you want the liquid to cover the beans. Add the bouquet garni to the beans and gently boil until the beans are tender, about an extra 45 minutes-1 hour. Remove the bouquet garni and discard.

Assemble the dish by pouring the beans into a shallow, ovenproof casserole dish and mixing them with the onions, carrots and deglazing liquid. Nestle the meats in amongst the beans, making sure they are covered with liquid. If they aren't, add a little water or broth. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for an hour or two - until the scents tell you that all is one in the universe. The duck will be falling off the bones and the liquid will have turned to savory sauce. You can mash some of the beans against the side of the casserole and mix them in to thicken the sauce if it seems too watery.

I like to serve this with lightly buttered garlic toasts, slices of baguette that have been toasted and rubbed with garlic. You can make a garlic crumb topping if you prefer. Add a little olive oil to a skillet and cook a clove or two of minced garlic until fragrant, just about a minute. Add 1-2 cups bread crumbs (fresh) and continuing cooking and stirring until the crumbs are crisp and golden, a few minutes more. Top the casserole with these crumbs, or serve them alongside in a bowl for sprinkling over each serving.

This is such a hearty meal that you won't need more than a green salad to finish the plate.

*A bouquet garni is a French term for a little "teabag" of herbs and flavorings made with a square of cheesecloth and tied with cotton string. Make the string extra long on one end so you can tie in to the handle of the pot for easy retrieval. You could just put all these seasonings loose in the pot but then they are the devil to fish out later.

Duck Bacon

Since we've been having lovely weather for ducks - chilly, foggy and rainy - I thought I'd chat today about the duck bacon we tried a short while back.

Cruising the supermarket aisles in Connecticut (have you ever noticed how hard it is to shop in an unfamiliar store?), we spied a package of this bacon nestled next to the regular pork bacon and decided to give it a ride home. We cooked it like, well, bacon and served it alongside eggs - obviously we weren't feeling terribly creative.

It was just ducky, bacon times two, richly smoky and just plain rich. The flavor was not much different than pork bacon, just more so. I didn't get to save the fat as we weren't at home but I'm sure it would have made a tasty addition to some wonderful dishes.

I'll bet you can think of some interesting applications for this product - care to share?

Ducky Beans

While strolling the Marin farmer's market a few days ago, we visited our favorite Basque stand where they sell wonderful sausages and pate' - this time we were talked into trying some duck breast proscuitto that the proprietor had made. I was thinking of yet another way to use up some of my peaches but when I have unusual ingredients in the house they tend to spark new ideas.

I made tiny, dark purple lardons from a bit of the duck breast, rendering the fat by sauteeing before adding some fresh green beans from the garden, perhaps a day or two past perfect size, so I sliced them on the diagonal. After tossing the beans in the duck fat, I added just a tablespoon or so of water to the pan and butter steamed them in the duck "butter."

The fresh green flavor of the beans lightened the earthy darkness of the prosciutto and each made the other better, tastier, more complete.

My Beloved has a way, when he tastes something he really likes, of just meeting my eyes and then closing his - his way of signaling that he's having a near-religious experience. Language is suspended for the moment by simple savoring. I love that.