Confit de Canard a l’Orange Rodriguez

This month, I have brought you one of my own recipes.  I developed this while working with a friend at his restaurant in Toulouse and, while it’s based on a French dish, it differs in that it includes a strong element from Sicily.  The dish is Confit de Canard a l’Orange Rodriguez

THE FOUR ELEMENTS

There are four elements in this dish:

1 Preparing the oranges

2 Making the syrup

3 Preparing the duck legs confit style

4 Preparing the rice

Firstly, we prepare the oranges and you need to do this several hours before cooking the duck legs.

DIRECTIONS

Wash 6 oranges in water, then boil them, whole and unpeeled, in salted water until soft. This should take about 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of the oranges.

When the oranges are cool enough to handle, slice them across thickly, picking-out and discarding seeds. Set sliced oranges aside and place in the refrigerator.

THE SYRUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4  cinnamon stick

1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

1 additional whole orange

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

2 cups chicken stock

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 clove garlic

kosher salt

Squeeze the juice from the additional orange and combine all ingredients into a pan, bring to the boil, simmer gently for 30 minutes, allow to thicken then strain to remove all solids. Add three dessertspoons of honey and allow syrup to cool. Set aside. If the syrup needs thickening add a teaspoon of rice flour mixed with a little white wine, and stir, allow the rice flour to cook for several minutes.

DUCK LEGS

This makes four servings, the quantities not used can be frozen.

Ingredients:

Two or Four duck legs

1 kg of duck fat for four duck legs…half quantity for two.

2 bay leaves

2-4 sprigs of thyme

Instructions

To prepare the four duck legs

1. Generously rub sea salt onto the flesh side of the duck legs, and season with cracked pepper. Wrap in clingfilm and leave overnight.

To make the Duck Confit

1. Rinse the duck legs under running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Melt the duck fat in a large saucepan that will hold the duck legs in a single layer. The duck fat should be at a temperature of 100°C/212°F.
3. Immerse the duck in the fat, add a few bay leaves and some sprigs of thyme.
4. You must have enough duck fat to just cover all of the duck legs. Keep in mind that, as the duck legs are cooking, they will render fat as well.
5. Cook the duck on a very low heat for about 2 hours until the meat falls off the bone easily. There should be barely a bubble seen in the oil during this time. An easier way to maintain a constant temperature is to place the saucepan into the oven (without fan) at 100°C/212°F.
6. Check regularly to make sure that the oil is not bubbling.
7. To test if the duck is cooked to the right texture, carefully remove one duck leg to a plate with the skin side facing down. Test with a fork to see if the meat falls away from the bone easily.

Cook enough Basmati rice to suit your servings and keep it warm.

To serve the Duck Confit

1. To serve the duck right away, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat (with no oil as there is enough oil from the duck legs) and sear the duck legs skin-side down until golden and crispy.
2. Turn the duck legs over and brown the other side. Heat the reserved orange slices and the syrup.
3. To serve: place a serving of hot white rice in the centre of each plate. Place the duck leg at an angle on the bed of rice – not flat.
4. Pour a portion of syrup over the duck and top with two warmed slices of the previously reserved oranges.

Serve with a robust red wine, Malbec, Pomerol, Fronton for example.

Voila: Confit de Canard Sicilian Rodreigez