One BIG Recipe: Dinner Duck Party

Difficulty:

1/5

One BIG Recipe

Servings: 4

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Shopping List

Pantry:	On hand:	Need (Minimum):	Yes/no:
Duck fat		3 ½ cups (840 ml)
Vanilla extract		½ teaspoon (2.5 ml)
Sea salt		1 tablespoon (15 ml) +
Sugar		1 ½ cups (350 ml)
Light corn syrup		¼ cup (60 ml)
Non-stick spray	x
Veg oil		¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (75 ml)
Chicken stock		1 cup (240 ml)
Wild rice		1 cup (240 ml)
Orange juice		¼ cup (60 ml)
Apple cider vinegar		3 tablespoons (45 ml)
Honey		3 tablespoons (45 ml)
Dijon mustard		1 teaspoon (5 ml)
Dried cranberries		½ cup (120 ml)
Roasted pumpkin seeds		¼ cup (60 ml)
Dried rosemary		1 tablespoon (15 ml(
Harissa		2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Maple Syrup		1 tablespoon (15 ml)

Dairy:
Whipping cream		1 cup (240 ml )
Butter		3 tablespoons (45 ml)

Produce:
Onions		2
Cooked spinach		4 cups (950 ml)
Cranberries		½ cup (120 ml)
Parsley		½ cup (120 ml)
Celery ribs		2
Apple		1
Heirloom carrots		1 ½ pounds (680 g)
Thyme		4 sprigs
Garlic		4 cloves
Rosemary		2 sprigs

Butcher:
Duck breasts		4
Prosciutto		24 slices

Special Equipment:
Wax paper

Mise en Place, about 1.5 hours before dinner

Prepare the Onion Petals:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, warm the oil. Carefully place the onions in the pan, cut side down. Cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add the butter and continue to cook the onions for another 4-5 minutes, turning the onions to cook evenly.
- Season with salt and pepper, add the stock, and transfer the pan to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Allow the onions to cool in the liquid. Once cool, remove and separate into petals. Reserve until needed.
Prepare the Duck Caramels:
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20.5 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly spray with non-stick spray.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, duck fat, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat, and set aside.
- In a separate saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook, gently swirling the pan, until light golden, 6-7 minutes.
- Place the pan of caramel on a baking tray. Carefully stir the cream mixture into the caramel mixture (it will bubble up) then place back over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 248 F (120 C) on a candy thermometer.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan and allow to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare the other fillings for the Duck Roulade:
- Wilt the spinach in a skillet, then set aside to cool.
- Halve the fresh cranberries.
- Remove the fat caps from the duck breasts and set aside.
- Butterfly the duck breasts and set aside.
Cook the Wild Rice:
- Rinse the wild rice well under cold, running water.
- In a large pot, combine the rice and water. Heavily salt the water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the rice is tender, 45-50 minutes.

Get cookin’! – about an hour before dinner

Prepare the Duck Skin Cracklings:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or saucier over medium-low heat, combine the duck skin and fat with the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, to prevent the skin from sticking to the bottom until the mixture begins to simmer and bubble rapidly and the liquid is cloudy, 10-15 minutes.
- Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is fully rendered and has turned golden and clear, and the bubbling has subsided, 25-30 minutes.
Roll the Duck Roulades:
- Working with 1 duck breast at a time, spread the butterflied breast out on a work surface. Season with salt and pepper.
- Layer some of the cooked spinach in a line along the centre of the breast. Top this with a line of slightly overlapped Onion Petals, followed by a line of cranberries. Fold the duck meat over itself to form a roll.
- Place 3-4 overlapping slices of prosciutto on the work surface. Place the folded duck onto the prosciutto and roll as tightly as possible, covering as much of the duck as possible. Repeat with the remaining duck breasts.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Add the oil to a large, ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the rolled duck breasts and cook until the prosciutto has crisped and rendered its fat, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Carefully drain off most of the fat from the pan and transfer to the oven to finish cooking, 12-15 minutes.
Prepare the Harissa-Maple Roasted Carrots:
- Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
- Place the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Roll and toss the carrots around in the fat to coat evenly.
- Scatter the thyme, garlic, and rosemary amongst the carrots. Dot the butter around the pan and season everything with salt.
- Place the carrots in the oven and roast until tender but not mushy, 20-25 minutes, flipping them and shaking the pan halfway through cooking.
Continue with the Duck Skin Cracklings:
- Continue cooking until the duck skin is golden brown and crisp on all sides, 5-7 minutes more.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl. Strain the liquid duck fat into the bowl and reserve for another use. Immediately transfer the duck skins to a separate bowl, sprinkle with the dried rosemary, and season with salt. Toss to coat evenly.
- Drizzle honey over the Duck Skin Cracklings
- Serve the crispy duck skins as a pre-dinner snack!

Dinner time! – about 10 minutes before dinner

- Allow the duck to rest for 8-10 minutes before slicing.
Finish the Carrots:
- Combine the harissa and maple syrup together
- Drizzle the harissa-maple mixture onto the carrots. Toss to coat.

Finish the Wild Rice Salad:
- Drain any excess water and allow the rice to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey, and mustard.
- Add the cranberries, parsley, celery, apple, and pumpkin seeds. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cooled rice and fold all the ingredients together.

Serve the Duck Roulade, Wild Rice Salad, Duck Fat Roasted Carrots
- Slice the duck into medallions and serve along with the sides.

Take a break, sit down and enjoy…

Serve the Duck Fat Caramels:
- Spray a knife with non-stick spray and cut the cooled caramel into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
- Top each piece with a pinch of sea salt. Wrap the caramels in 4-inch (10 cm) squares of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close.