My sister and bro in law came to visit and I thought that a roast duck feast would be the perfect meal to make for the occasion. This isn’t a dinner that you make every weekend. It’s a labor of love and it shows. I went for sides of creamy potatoes au gratin and earthy brussel sprouts with caramelized leek, rounded out by a rich cherry wine sauce to top it all off.

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RECIPE:

DUCK:
5-6lb or 2.5kg whole duck
Salt

Thaw duck if needed & pull out innards. Remove excess skin around neck & butt. Truss legs as shown @1:04. Cut off excess string. Cut off wings if desired to make stock with later.

Use sharp knife to puncture skin as shown @1:42 to allow fat to render as the meat cooks. Season generously with salt. Allow to dry brine in fridge for 1hr-90 minutes.

Bring very large pot of water to simmer. Pot should be large enough to submerge duck under water.

Once simmering, add duck to water. After 15 min of boiling, transfer to wire rack on a roasting pan & roast in preheated 450F/230C oven for 45 minutes. Lower temp to 300F/150C & continue to cook 30-60 more minutes.


POTATOES AU GRATIN
1500g or 4 large russet potatoes, peeled
100g or 1/2c medium sharp cheddar, shredded
100g or 1/2c gruyere, shredded
50g or 1/2c parmesan, finely shredded or grated
5g or 2tsp cornstarch
Salt
Pepper
75g or 1/3c chicken stock
125g or 1/2c heavy cream.

Thinly slice potatoes using mandoline. Set aside.
Shred cheeses and add to a medium bowl with cornstarch. Toss to coat. Layer as follows in an 8”x8” baking pan - each potato layer should be perpendicular to the last:
Layer 1: layer potatoes as shown @3:33. Potatoes should overlap about 30%. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 2: potatoes, top with ⅕ of the grated cheese mix.
Layer 3: potatoes, season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 4: potatoes, Top with ⅕ of the grated cheese mix.
Layer 5: potatoes, Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 6: layer potatoes perpendicular to layer 5. Top with ⅕ of the grated cheese mix.
Layer 7: layer potatoes perpendicular to layer 6. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 8 - top layer potatoes. Mix chicken stock and cream in a small container and pour mix evenly over the top of the layered potatoes. Finish by topping with the remaining grated cheeses, making sure to fully cover the potatoes.

Cover with foil. bake in preheated 325F/160C oven for 70-90min. After 45 minutes of baking remove foil. Continue baking for remaining 45 minutes. Use a cake tester or thin knife to check that potatoes are fully cooked. It’s done when you don’t feel much resistance. Cover with foil until ready to serve.

CHERRY WINE SAUCE
500g/mL or 3 glasses dry red wine
250g/mL chicken stock
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs thyme
3-4 bay leaves
150g or about 3/4c sweet dark cherries, unsweetened (frozen is fine)
1 42g container of poultry demi glace
1 packet powdered gelatin, dissolved in 60mL/1/4c water

Add ingredients to small sauce pan and reduce over med-high heat for about 25 minutes or until liquid is 80-90% evaporated.

Once well reduced, strain off liquid, pressing down to extract liquid. Discard solids. To liquid, add demi glace & dissolved gelatin. Stir & reduce over med-high heat for 5 minutes or until bubbles are glossy & large. Once there, add pinch of salt if needed & stir to dissolve.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS W CARAMELIZED LEEK
1 leek, cut into ½”/1.25cm slices, rinsed well
Salt
30g/2Tbsp butter
Neutral oil (canola, avocado, grapeseed, light olive)
650-700g or 1 quart brussel sprouts, halved
Black pepper
3-4 sprigs thyme (remove stems, chop leaves)

Preheat large skillet over med-high. Add long drizzle of oil followed by leeks, strong pinch of salt, & butter. Caramelize for 3-4 minutes. When softened and beginning to take on color, remove from pan, wipe out and add another squeeze of oil followed by brussel sprouts. Arrange sprouts cut side down & cover with lid or foil to cook and steam for 3-4min. Toss brussels, add a pinch of salt. Add another squeeze of oil if necessary. Cover and cook for 3-4 more minutes or until just tender. Add cooked leeks, lots of black pepper, and thyme. Stir to combine.

#roastduck #potatoesaugratin #brusselsprouts

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