Confit duck pastilla

Confit duck pastilla -

Use soft and tender, slow-cooked meat inside this crispy brik or filo pastry pie, with Moroccan-style cinnamon, almonds and icing sugar.

Ingredients:

A little fat from the confit duck (see below)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
handful parsley, coriander and thyme all tied together
handful parsley, chopped
handful coriander, chopped
4 legs confit duck, wiped of excess fat (either buy it ready confited or see 'Goes well with', below)
3 eggs, plus 2 yolks
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
50g ground almonds
50g butter, melted
200g filo pastry or brik pastry

Method:

Heat a large cast-iron pan and add the fat. Cook the onion gently for 5 mins until soft. Add the cinnamon stick, the tied herbs and the duck, and give the pan a good shake.
Add enough water to the pan to just cover the duck. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 20 mins. Remove the duck to a plate and discard the herbs and cinnamon stick. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce by half. Beat the eggs and the yolks along with half the icing sugar and half the ground cinnamon. Remove the pan from the heat, pour in the egg mixture and stir like mad to stop it catching. Simmer on the lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a custard-like sauce. Be careful not to overcook or the mix may curdle. Stir through the almonds and leave to cool.
Shred the duck meat, discarding the skin and bones. Mix with the sauce, add the chopped parsley and coriander, and season well.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with melted butter and layer in the pastry, lightly brushing with melted butter between each layer – leaving enough overhanging so it can be folded to seal the filling. Add the duck filling, then fold over and brush the top with more butter. Bake for 30 mins until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before turning out. Sprinkle with the remaining icing sugar and cinnamon before serving.

Duck Legs in Green Curry

Duck Legs in Green Curry -

Spicy Thai curry sauce complements the rich flavor of duck legs.

Ingredients:

 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 4 duck legs
 1 small onion, minced
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, minced
 3 (10 ounce) cans coconut milk
 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste
 2 kaffir lime leaves
 2 green onions, minced
 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
 1 (12 ounce) package thin rice noodles
 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Place duck legs fat-side down in a large skillet over medium-high heat, searing them on both sides until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove legs from pan, and reserve about 3 tablespoons of fat.
Place onions in skillet with reserved duck fat, and cook over medium heat until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, serrano peppers, and ginger; cook for about 3 minutes.
Skim the coconut cream from 1 can of coconut milk, and stir the cream into the onion mixture. Stir in the curry paste, and cook until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes.
Stir into the skillet the additional 2 cans of coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, green onions, and fish sauce. Return duck legs to the pan. Simmer on low heat until just done, about 15 minutes. (If the curry sauce needs further reducing, remove the duck legs to an oven set at low heat, and cook down the sauce over medium heat.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil, and cook the noodles according to package directions. When done, drain, and run cold water over noodles. Set aside.
Toss the noodles in the curry, and serve with chopped cilantro.

Roast Duck Curry

Roast Duck Curry -

Duck is a favorite Thai fowl. Roast chicken, while not as as rich, also makes a splendid curry. Make it easy by starting with a store-bought already roast duck or chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole duck (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
3 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Thai Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons Thai Peanut Satay Sauce
2 cups green beans, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Cooked Thai Jasmine Rice
Whole basil leaves (optional)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Place duck in roasting pan. Roast 1 hour or until almost cooked through. Cool duck. Remove skin. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
HEAT oil in large skillet or wok on high heat. Add ginger and kaffir lime leaves; stir fry 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add red curry paste and tomato paste; stir fry 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, stirring to release browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add coconut milk, peanut satay sauce, green beans and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until green beans are tender.
STIR in duck. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in chopped basil. Remove lime leaves before serving. Serve with cooked Jasmine Rice. Garnish with whole basil leaves, if desired.