A Ducky Weekend

A Ducky Weekend

I’m a little late, but I finally got my duck to do the Duck Prosciutto challenge for  Charcutepalooza.  I thought I’d get a whole duck since it was the same price as getting just the breast, plus it gave me more options.

Once I had the duck thawed, I separated the duck as follows:  boned the breast, took off the legs, cut off all the skin and fat, set aside the giblets and neck, set aside the carcass.  The breast is well on its way to becoming the prosciutto.  The legs are getting a confit treatment with the rendered fat from the skin.  The liver, heart, and carcass meat became Pate de Campagne.  The carcass and giblets became the broth for the Superbowl gumbo.  Pretty successful use of the bird, if I do say so myself!

I used the recipes from Ruhlman & Polcyn’s Charcuterie for the prosciutto, confit, and the pate.  I made a few adjustment to the recipes (except the prosciutto) since I am notorious for changing recipes.   I changed the pate spice mix to add allspice as I am not a big fan of cloves and cinnamon:  2 tea allspice, 1 tea nutmeg, 1 tea ginger, 1 tea coriander, 1 tea cinnamon, 1 tbs black pepper.  Since I had this all mixed up, I put it into both the pate and the confit.  The pate also used the duck liver rather than chicken, and I included the meat picked over from the cooked carcass which ended up being about 2/3 cup.  I couldn’t resist topping it with fresh bay leaves from my tree that lives in the dining room window.

The duck fat rendering, drove the kitties bonkers.

Here's the duck legs as they emerged from their 10 hour slow cook in their fat bath.  I got to try out the oven timer function on my stove, had it for 5 years and never used it until now.  Since these will last a while, I have plenty of time to think of a use for them.  Will also need ideas for the cracklings, any ideas?

And now the Duck Prosciutto!

Mysterious boned duck breasts nestled in kosher salt for a day...

After you rinse the salt off and pat dry, wrap in cheesecloth and tie.  Then you're ready to hang for a week or so...  Are you hungry yet?

And now, if it would only stop snowing.  At least we won't go hungry.

Clotile thinks it's ready...

but just can't reach...