ROAST DUCK with THREE-RICE STUFFING

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1 ROAST DUCK with THREE-RICE STUFFING Serves 4 to 6. By Dennis W. Viau; an original recipe. Duck is a rich and delicious meat. Add a reduction sauce and a flavorful stuffing, and you have an exotic meal. Although more expensive than chicken, duck is nonetheless an affordable meat. The stuffing here is made with three kinds of rice, flavored with onion, sage, and pork sausage. Ingredients: 1 duck, 5 to 6 pounds (2.25 to 2.75kg), cut into 4 pieces 2 tablespoons pure (cooking) olive oil 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup (85g) brown rice ½ cup (100g) white rice ½ cup (100g) wild rice 3 cups (710ml) chicken stock, preferably homemade, divided 2 to 4 shallots, depending on size, thinly sliced 1 large yellow onion (about 12 ounces/340g); chopped 2 to 3 stalks celery; chopped 6 to 8 shiitake mushrooms; chopped, stems discarded (criminis can be substituted) 1 pound (450g) pork sausage meat 10 to 12 fresh sage leaves; chopped ¼ cup (60ml) dry port ¼ cup (1 ounce/28g) dried cranberries Directions: If you purchased a whole duck, rather than pieces, cut the duck into four pieces, eliminating the back section and wings (which can be saved for stock) using poultry shears or a large sharp knife. The four pieces should be the legs and the breast sections with the bones attached. (You could debone the duck, but that is a lot of work.) Using a skewer or a small pointed knife, pierce the skin in several places to allow the fat to drain when browning the duck pieces. Heat olive oil and butter in a larger skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the duck pieces, two at a time (do not crowd the pan) until well browned, about 10 minutes. While the duck is browning, cook the rice. Start the brown rice and wild first, as they need the most time to cook, by heating 1¼ cups (300ml) stock in a pan and adding the rice. Cook about 20 minutes covered, then add the white rice and cook an additional 12 minutes covered. When all the duck is browned, remove from the skillet and set aside. Wipe the skillet with paper towels (no need to wash it). Add about 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and sauté the sliced shallots until caramelized. Start over medium-high heat and reduce the temperature as the moisture cooks off. Total cooking time should be 10 to 15 minutes to reduce to a golden color. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Sauté the onion until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside (can be added to the shallots). Sauté the chopped celery until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes, and then set aside. Sauté the chopped mushrooms until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes, adding more oil to the pan if needed

2 Sauté the pork sausage meat until thoroughly cooked and lightly browned. Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). In a large and deep casserole dish for which you have a cover, combine the cooked rice, shallot, onion, celery, mushrooms, and pork sausage. Adjust for salt and pepper. Add the chopped sage and mix well. Arrange the browned duck pieces on top and cover (or use foil). Bake until the duck meat reaches a temperature of 170 F (77 C) when tested with a digital thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. While the duck and stuffing are baking, start a port reduction sauce by washing the skillet and heating the remaining stock over medium-high heat. Add the port and cranberries. Bring to a boil and reduce the volume to about ½ or 1/3 its original volume. Set aside. When the duck is cooked, remove from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes. Plate with plenty of stuffing to one side and spoon the port reduction sauce over the duck. Serve immediately with a green vegetable on the side. 2 1 STEP-BY-STEP Other than the wild rice, these ingredients were easily found in the local grocery store. They do not stock uncooked wild rice, but they had a ready in two minutes pre-cooked wild rice that sufficed. 2 If the duck is sold frozen, let thaw a few days in the refrigerator. Some stores might sell the duck already cut into pieces. I have a whole duck and therefore I will section it myself.

3 3 3 It helps to know how to section fowl such as chicken. After removing the wings, I cut down to the breast bone and then cut along the center on either side of the breast bone using poultry shears to cut through the rib bones. I do the same on either side of the back bone, removing it and the pelvis. Finally, I cut each side in half for a breast section and a leg section. The YouTube video that goes with this recipe shows how this is done. 4 Pierce the duck skin in several places with a skewer or a small sharp knife to allow the duck fat to render and drain as the pieces are browning. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet and brown the duck pieces, two at a time so as not to crowd the pan, until well browned. Then remove from the skillet and set aside.

4 5 4 The brown rice and wild rice have a longer cooking time. Cook them in 1¼ cups (300ml) stock for about 20 minutes, covered, then add the white rice. Cover and cook an additional 12 minutes. The rice will be slightly undercooked, but it will continue cooking in the oven. 6 While the rice is cooking, thinly slice the shallots.

5 7 5 I do not like the flavor of cooked shallots, but I think they are delicious when caramelized. Wipe the pan with paper towels and add the shallots. Cook until golden, reducing the heat as the moisture cooks off, about 10 to 15 minutes, watching them closely and stirring often as they take on color. 8 Meanwhile chop the onion into a medium sized dice. This is a matter of preference. If you like large pieces of onion in your stuffing, you can chop the onion larger.

6 9 6 Sauté the onion until tender, about 6 minutes, and remove from the pan. Do the same with the chopped celery. 10 The chopped mushrooms will cook quickly, about 3 minutes. They also absorb a lot of oil. Add a little more oil to the pan when sautéing the mushrooms.

7 11 7 Finally, cook the pork sausage meat, breaking it up with a spatula, until thoroughly cooked and lightly browned. 12 Combine all the stuffing ingredients (rice, shallots, celery, mushrooms, sausage) and taste for salt and pepper. Add the chopped sage and mix well. Press into the bottom of a deep casserole dish and arrange the duck pieces on top. Cover and bake until the duck is cooked through to the bone, 45 minutes to 1 hour, or to an internal temperature of 170 F (77 C) when tested with a digital thermometer.

8 13 8 To make the reduction sauce, heat the remaining stock (1¾ cups/414ml), port, and dried cranberries until it comes to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until the liquid is reduced to about ½ to 1/3 its original volume. I placed my reduction sauce in a gravy boat. 14 I really like sautéed Brussels sprouts and I think the flavor goes well with this dish. I sauté them in butter and cooking olive oil until tender and lightly browned. Garnished with a little extra virgin olive oil and a little grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, they are delicious.

9 15 9 When the duck is done, let rest 5 minutes. Then plate with plenty of stuffing. Garnish the duck with the port/cranberry reduction sauce. Serve green vegetables on the side. Conclusion This seems like an exotic dish and it would probably be better suited for a special occasion rather than a Saturday lunch. Other varieties of rice, such a Madagascar pink rice and/or Chinese forbidden black rice can be used. This stuffing allows plenty of room for experimentation.