Duck Rillettes Recipes

DUCK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150ºC/gas 2.
• Place the duck legs and fat in a roasting tray, season, then smash and tuck in the garlic and 3 thyme sprigs.
• Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove from the oven.
• Once cool, discard the skin and shred the meat off the bone.
• Roughly chop and mix in the pistachios and sultanas, then add the vinegar and remaining thyme leaves. Add enough cooking fat to bind the mixture - this should be about 2 tablespoons. Season to taste.
• Delicious served with sourdough toast.

DUCK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Cut breasts from duck and discard skin and all visible fat. Reserve legs and carcass for another use.
• Brown duck neck (halved if necessary) in a dry 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, turning once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Pat duck breasts dry and season with salt and pepper, then add to pan and brown over moderate heat, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to plate with duck neck.
• Add Armagnac to pan and deglaze by boiling, scraping up any brown bits, until most of liquid is evaporated. Add 2 cups water, shallots, garlic, sliced carrot, thyme, bay leaf, kosher salt, peppercorns, and duck breasts and neck with any juices on plate and cook at a bare simmer, covered, 1 hour. Discard neck, then transfer breasts to a plate and cool. Shred duck meat, then chop.
• Pour broth through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. (If liquid measures less than 2 cups, add water.) Return to cleaned pan and add chopped carrot. Simmer, covered, until carrot is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• While carrot is cooking, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 2 tablespoons water in a cup and let soften 1 minute.
• Stir softened gelatin into hot broth until dissolved, then stir in duck meat, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into crocks (you'll have about 3 cups total) and chill, covered, until set, 3 to 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

DUCK RILLETTE

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients, except fat, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, or until everything is well mixed. Or use a food processor, taking care not to puree the mixture or let it turn into a paste. The texture should be like finely chopped meat.
• Use immediately or place in an airtight container, drizzle some of the reserved fat over the top, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

DUCK-CONFIT RILLETTES

Steps:

• Shred the duck meat, discarding the skin and bones. Place the shredded meat in a food processor and add 1 tablespoon of duck fat. Pulse the machine and add enough of the remaining fat so the rillettes hold together. Season the rillettes with plenty of pepper and serve with toasted country bread. Alternatively, spoon the rillettes into ramekins, top with a layer of duck fat, and store in the refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks.

DUCK RILLETTE

Steps:

• Scatter a handful of salt with the bay leaves and half the thyme in a wide dish. Lay the duck legs on top, skin side up. Sprinkle with more salt and leave in the fridge overnight.
• Next day, scrape off the excess salt;keep the thyme and bay leaves. Preheat oven to 170°C Season the duck with black pepper, place in a roasting tin with the herbs from the earlier stage.
• Melt 600g of the duck fat and pour in to cover the duck. Heat the pan and bring the fat to a simmer. Carefully transfer to the oven and cook for 2-2.5 hours until the meat falls off the bone. Remove and leave to cool.
• Remove the duck legs from the fat and pat dry with kitchen paper. Strip the meat from the bone using two forks. Melt the remaining duck fat and add about 100g to moisten the meat. mix well and season if necessary. Divide the mixture between sterilised jars, pressing down to remove air pockets.
• Pour the last of the melted fat on top to seal. Pick the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs and sprinkle over the fat.
• Seal the jars tightly and store in the fridge for up to a fortnight.