Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [199]
Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Swirl in the honey and cook just until the honey melts, about 5 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the peaches and thyme; cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. To serve, slice the breasts into ¼-inch slices on the diagonal, arrange these on plates, and divide the sauce among them.
Note: Some people prefer much rarer breasts, around 130F (medium-rare) or 140?F. If you’re willing to go that low, understand the risks—you’ll also end up with reddish meat.
Seared Duck Breasts with Apricots and Rosemary: Substitute 4 pitted and sliced apricots for the peaches; also substitute 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary for the thyme.
Seared Duck Breasts with Plums and Cinnamon: Substitute 3 pitted and sliced plums for the peaches; also substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the thyme.
Duck Confit Tzimmes
Tzimmes is usually eaten on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s sweet, said to symbolize the wish for a sweet new year. Here, we’ve transformed it into the ultimate party dish. A French extravagance, duck confit is a duck leg preserved in duck fat. The legs are plump and juicy with an almost smoky flavor. Look for duck confit legs at the butcher counter or in the poultry case of almost all gourmet markets. Makes 8 servings
4 duck confit legs
1¼ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces pitted prunes, quartered (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove some of the white fat from the duck confit legs and smear it around a 13 × 9-inch baking pan to grease it. Remove and discard the remainder of the skin and fat from the legs. Shred the meat off the bones with a fork.
Place the meat in a large bowl and mix in the sweet potatoes, carrots, and prunes.
Whisk the broth, honey, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder, and ground cloves in a small bowl. Pour over the duck and vegetables; toss to coat. Turn this mixture and any juices into the prepared pan.
Cover and bake in the lower third of the oven for 1 hour, tossing every 15 minutes. Then uncover, toss well, and continue baking until the vegetables are tender, about 15 more minutes. Let stand, uncovered, for 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Steam-Roasted Goose
A goose is even fattier than a duck (more buoyancy for that big body), but the meat is mildly gamy and quite luxurious. Although it’s graced many a holiday table, it’s a good bit of exotic fare for your next dinner party. This two-step technique, similar to that used for duck, will give you the most tender meat every time. Makes 6 to 8 servings
One 10-to 12-pound goose, giblets and neck removed
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Butcher’s twine
Trim off all excess fat and skin at both openings for the goose. Cut off the wing tips and discard them. Season the inside of the body with
½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Truss the goose with butcher’s twine.
Add about 1 inch of water to a large roasting pan and place it over medium-high heat. Place a footed roasting rack in the roasting pan and set the goose on the rack breast side up. Bring the water to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and steam for 1 hour, adding more water if the pan starts to run dry.
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Carefully remove the goose from the rack and drain the very hot