Fresh Mexico_ 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor - Marcela Valladolid [13]
Place the duck fat in a medium-size heavy saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until completely rendered.
Preheat the oven to 225°F.
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator. Pick off and reserve the garlic cloves. Using cold running water, rinse the duck pieces (discarding the shallots, thyme, and rosemary) and pat them dry. Arrange the duck pieces and the reserved garlic cloves in a single snug layer in a large, wide ovenproof pot. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the pieces should be covered by fat) and place in the oven. Cook, uncovered, for 2½ hours, or until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then remove the duck pieces from the fat. (Cool the fat completely, then cover and refrigerate for another use.) Remove all of the meat from the bones, and discard the skin and bones. Shred the duck meat. (Duck confit will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. To store, return the shredded duck to the fat, cool completely, and then refrigerate. To reheat, stir the shredded duck in its fat over medium heat until the fat melts completely. Cool slightly. Remove the shredded duck from the fat.)
Place 1 tortilla on a work surface. Spoon a generous amount of shredded duck confit down the center, and sprinkle some scallions on top. Roll up like a soft taco, into a cylinder. Trim the edges and cut the burrito in half crosswise. Cut the halves on the diagonal, and arrange them standing upright, on a platter. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, duck confit, and scallions. Serve with the tomatillo-cilantro salsa for dipping.
WARMING TORTILLAS
You could end up in the middle of a very heated discussion if you ask two Mexicans the proper way to warm a tortilla. Many do it over a comal (a large heavy sauté pan), but I grew up in a house where both corn and flour tortillas were warmed directly over a gas burner. We would turn them constantly until they were perfectly soft and ready to roll, about 30 seconds. (Now, if you’re lucky enough to find freshly baked and still-warm tortillas, as I sometimes do at the corner store, there’s no need to warm them.) The point is to make the tortillas pliable so they won’t crack or break while rolling.
GRILLED SPICY QUAIL
SERVES 4
⅔ cup canola oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Chile-Italian Seasoning (recipe follows)
8 semiboneless quail (torso bones removed, but bird is still whole)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, for serving
My dad used to hunt, and quail was his favorite game, so grilled quail regularly appeared on our dinner table. When pressed for time, my mom would marinate the quail in store-bought Italian dressing spiced up with chile powder, grill it, and serve it as an appetizer followed by carne asada. In this recipe, I create the marinade from scratch, with just the right amount of chile powder. Squeeze a lime over the quail and don’t be afraid to eat it with your hands—it’s messy but delicious! This marinade is also great with chicken.
To make the marinade, whisk the canola oil, Parmesan cheese, vinegar, chile-Italian seasoning, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl.
Rinse the quail and pat dry. Arrange the quail in a baking dish that is large enough to hold them in one layer, and add the marinade, turning the quail to coat them well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, turning the quail once or twice, for at least 1 day and up to 2 days.
Remove the quail from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Prepare a grill to medium-high heat, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
Remove the quail from the marinade (discard the marinade), and pat dry with paper towels. Season the quail with salt and pepper, and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. The meat should still be slightly pink in the center. Serve with lime wedges.