Duck Rillettes
Crafting duck rillettes is akin to performing a culinary enchantment. Despite the majority of the spread comprising relatively lean duck meat, through the process of emulsifying it with a touch of butter, duck fat, and duck gelatin, the resulting delicacy will deceive you into believing it possesses the richness of the finest foie gras torchon. By the way, I do miss foie gras torchon.
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Seasoning Mixture (Potpourri)
- 12 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 orange, zested into thin strips
- 6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger
- 3 bay leaves
Duck
- 1 whole duck
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon brandy (such as Armagnac)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a 9×13-baking dish with two pieces of aluminum foil.
- Make the spice rub: Stir kosher salt, pepper, and thyme together in a small bowl. Make the seasoning mix: Mix garlic, thyme sprigs, garlic, ginger, and bay leaves together in another bowl.
- Season duck all over, both inside and out, with about 2/3 of the spice rub. Fill the cavity with all of the seasoning mix. Place duck, breast-side up, into the prepared baking dish and season with remaining spice rub. Wrap duck tightly in aluminum foil.
- Roast in the preheated oven until meat pulls away from the bones, 5 to 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cool duck with its accumulated juices, wrapped in aluminum foil, to room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- Pick meat from the bones and place into a bowl.
- Spoon all accumulated juices in the foil into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook until hot throughout, about 5 minutes. Strain juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Let fat and stock separate, then transfer fat from the top to another bowl.
- Mash duck meat, 3 tablespoons duck fat, 2 tablespoons duck stock, butter, brandy, parsley, chives, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a sealable container, press down, and drizzle a little duck fat over the top. Sprinkle thyme leaves, more black pepper, and orange zest over the top. Seal the container and refrigerate for the flavors to blend, 1 to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 544mgPotassium: 175mgFiber: 1gVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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