Chef’s Recipe: Muscovy Duck Leg Confit with Cranberry Port Compote & White Bean, Fennel & Olive Ragout

This month’s recipe comes from Andrew Prentice, Executive Chef at the Badminton & Racquet Club of Toronto.

A Chef for the last 40 years, Andrew’s spent more than half that at the Club, a longevity that’s virtually unheard of in the restaurant business.  But it’s his dedication to hospitality and easy sense of humour that has likely been the basis for his long-standing tenure: declining from being called “Chef,” (a term of respect used to address the Exec Chef) he’s on a first name basis with everyone on his staff; it’s not uncommon to see someone sitting at the table in his kitchen office — staff, suppliers and club members alike — sharing a laugh and a tea.

If he sounds familiar to you, that’s because he’s graced these blog pages before, both offering up the best steak tartar recipe in the world and generously showing Erin how to properly shuck an oyster.

Erin met Andrew when she became the sommelier at the B&R, they hit it off from the start and have been fast friends ever since, as they share a love of great food, fabulous wine… and if a gin and tonic or Pimm’s Cup finds its way into the mix, well, that’s just fine too.

We told Andrew we wanted something that was spectacular: not just for taste and presentation, though that’s always high on the list, but that was also easy enough to assemble, at least in part, ahead of time and would wow a crowd.  He came back with this incredible confit recipe; everything can be made days ahead of time, and reheated and assembled last minute, leaving you to enjoy your own party.

Duck Confit

Ingredients

• 6 LEGS
• 3 WHOLE HEADS OF GARLIC
• 4 TSP KOSHER SALT
• 2 TSP DRIED THYME
• 3 BAY LEAVES
• 2 TSP BLACK PEPPERCORNS
• 2 TSP JUNIPER BERRIES
• 1 WHOLE NUTMEG

METHOD

1. PLACE DUCK LEGS IN A HOT SAUTE PAN SKIN SIDE DOWN. A CAST IRON PAN IS PREFERABLE.
2. SAUTE LEGS BOTH SIDES UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.
3. RESERVE FAT FROM PAN.
4. PLACE GARLIC, SALT, PEPPERCORNS, JUNIPER BERRIES, THYME, BAY LEAVES AND NUTMEG IN A PAN WITH RESERVED FAT.
5. PLACE LEGS IN PAN IN ONE LAYER SKIN SIDE DOWN.
6. LEGS SHOULD BE COVERD WITH RESERVED FAT. TOP UP WITH OLIVE OIL, OR PREFERABLY CHICKEN OR BACON FAT IF NOT ENOUGH.
7. SIMMER OVER LOW HEAT (DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL) FOR 1 ½ HOURS OR UNTIL TENDER.
8. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND ALLOW TO COOL. KEEP LEGS COVERED IN FAT.
9. STORE IN FRIDGE UNTIL NEEDED.*

*properly submerged in fat, the duck can easily last a week in the fridge

TO SERVE

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 F
2. REMOVE LEGS FROM PAN BY WARMING FAT SLOWLY.
3. SCRAPE OFF ANY FAT FROM LEGS.
4. PLACE LEGS IN A HOT SAUTE PAN. SAUTE UNTIL SKIN IS CRISP.
5. PLACE IN OVEN TO HEAT THROUGH, APPROX 10 MINUTES.

WHITE BEAN, FENNEL & OLIVE RAGOUT

INGREDIENTS

• 1 CUP COOKED WHITE BEANS
• 1 SMALL FENNEL BULB SLICED THINLY
• ½ CUP COOKED ARTICHOKE QUARTERS
• 1 TSP MINCED SHALLOTS
• 1 TSP MINCED GARLIC
• 1 TSP THYME
• 2 TSP OLIVE OIL
• 1 CUP CHICKEN STOCK
• 2 TOMATOES DICED
• JUICE FROM 2 LEMONS
• ½ TSP LEMON ZEST
• ½ CUP NICOISE OLIVES
• ½ CUP CHARDONNAY

METHOD

1. HEAT OIL IN PAN (MED HEAT)
2. ADD FENNEL AND COOK, STIRRING UNTIL TENDER.
3. ADD GARLIC AND SHALLOTS. COOK 45 SECONDS
4. ADD TOMATO. COOK 1 MINUTE.
5. ADD WHITE BEANS AND ARTICHOKE. COOK 2 MINUTES
6. ADD WINE. REDUCE BY HALF.
7. ADD STOCK AND LEMON JUICE
8. SIMMER 2 MINUTES *
9. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND STIR IN OLIVES, HERBS AND OLIVE OIL.
10. SEASON TO TASTE WITH SALT AND PEPPER.  ADD ZEST AND SERVE.

*this can be made a day ahead, stopping at Step 8.  To serve, gently rewarm the ragout and proceed with steps 9 & 10

CRANBERRY COMPOTE

• 1 CUP FRESH CRANBERRIES
• ¼ CUP MERLOT
• ¼ CUP FRESH ORANGE JUICE
• ¼ CUP RUBY PORT
• ¼ CUP RED CURRANT JELLY
• 2 TSP LEMON JUICE
• 2 TSP MINCED GINGER
• 1 TSP DIJON MUSTARD
• ½ TSP CLOVES, GROUND
• 1 CINNAMON STICK
• PINCH SALT, TO TASTE

METHOD

1. PLACE ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT CRANBERRIES IN A SAUCEPAN.
2. STIR AND BRING TO A SLOW BOIL.
3. REDUCE HEAT AND SIMMER UNTIL REDUCED BY HALF.*
4. ADD CRANBERRIES STIRRING OCCASIONALLY FOR APPROX 10 MINUTES.
5. BERRIES SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY BROKEN IN APPEARANCE.

*To prepare in advance, stop here and and keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, gently rewarm and continue with Step 4

Putting it all Together:

1. PLACE BEAN RAGOUT ON PLATE
2. PLACE CRISP DUCK LEG ON TOP
3. PLACE WARM COMPOTE TO THE SIDE

The Wine Sisters’ Pairing

There’s a lot of flavours and textures going on here: rich, earthy duck, sweet and tart cranberry, plus salty, herbacious ragout.  For us Gamay fits the bill here, as its berry, earthy, herbacious flavours compliment the dish; while it has enough acidity to cut through the richness.

Try: Villa Ponciago La Réserve Fleurie, Beaujolais, France, 2011
$21.95 Vintages 299917