Featured in TakePart TasteMakers With Chef Ian Knauer www.takepart.com/tastemakers
Crispy Beer-Roasted Duck 1 (6-lb) duck 1 small orange, quartered 5 or 6 thyme sprigs 2 rosemary sprigs 1 sage sprig 2 cups boiling Smoked IPA 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425 F. If necessary, cut off wing tips with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Remove and discard excess fat from body cavity and neck, then rinse duck inside and out. Season cavity with salt and pepper, then fill cavity with orange, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Fold neck skin under body, then put duck, breast side up, on a rack in a 13- by 9- by 3-inch roasting pan and pour hot beer over duck (to tighten skin). Pour out any beer from cavity into pan. Pat duck dry inside and out, reserving water in pan, then rub duck inside and out with kosher salt and pepper. Roast duck, breast side up, 45 minutes, then remove from oven. Turn duck over and roast 45 minutes more. Turn duck over again (breast side up), tilting duck to drain any liquid from cavity into pan. Continue to roast duck until skin is brown and crisp, about 45 minutes more (total roasting time: about 2¼ hours). Tilt duck to drain any more liquid from cavity into pan. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
Smoked IPA-Braised Duck Legs with Cherry Gravy Serves 6 2 carrots 2 celery sticks 1 onion, halved 1 head garlic, halved 6 parsley sprigs 6 fresh duck legs 1 cup smoked IPA 2 cups duck or chicken stock sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon water 2 teaspoons cornstarch ½ cup cherry preserves Preheat oven to 350 F. Place carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley in a deep roasting pan. Season duck with salt and pepper, then place on top of vegetables in pan. Add stock and beer to pan and cover with foil. Braise duck until very tender, about 2½ hours. Transfer duck to a broiler pan, skin side up. Strain braising liquid and separate fat. Save fat for another use. Bring 3 cups of braising liquid to a boil in a medium heavy pot and boil until reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Stir together water and cornstarch, then stir into braising liquid. Boil until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in preserves and transfer to a serving boat. Preheat broiler. Broil duck about 3 inches from heat until skin is browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer duck to a serving platter and serve with cherry gravy.
Pumpkin (Soy) Cheesecake For the crust: 5 tablespoons coconut oil 1½ cups gingersnap crumbs (from about 6 oz) 2 tablespoons sugar ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt For the filling: ¾ cup sugar 8 oz soy cream cheese 2 large eggs ¼ cup soy milk 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup cooked pumpkin Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9-to 9½-inch pie plate. Stir together the coconut oil, gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and salt and press them into the bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp about 15 minutes, then cool completely about 45 minutes. Whisk together the sugar and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs, soy milk, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Reserve 2/3 cup of cheese mixture. Whisk the pumpkin into the remaining cheese mixture. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust. Drizzle reserved 2/3 cup cheese mixture over pumpkin mixture to create a marbled pattern, then swirl once with a fork. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until center is just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, then chill until cold, at least 4 hours.
Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing 8 cups (½-inch) pieces firm white bread (¾ pound) 1½ pounds fresh pork sausage meat, crumbled ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter 2 onions, chopped 3 celery ribs, sliced ¼ inch thick 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup dried cranberries 1 tablespoon crumbled dried or fresh sage 2 teaspoons dried or fresh thyme 1½ cups duck stock or chicken broth Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toast bread in a large shallow baking pan in middle of oven until dry and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Cook sausage in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up large lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add butter to fat remaining in skillet and cook onions, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add celery and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with sausage and stir in bread, cranberries, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3- to 4-quart baking dish and drizzle with broth. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until bread is golden and stuffing is heated through, 20 to 25 minutes more.
Shredded Swiss Chard Salad Adapted from The Farm serves 4 1 large bunch Swiss chard (12 ounces) ½ garlic clove Kosher salt 4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice 1 dried chipotle chile, very thinly sliced 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot Black pepper 5 ounces fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated Wash and dry the chard leaves. Remove the stems (see headnote), then stack the leaves in a pile, roll them up tightly, like a cigar, and thinly slice crosswise into very fine strands. Mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Cook the pancetta in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat until browned, the add chile for 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Let fat in pan cool. Whisk the garlic together with the reserved pancetta fat, oil, vinegar, shallot, chile, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then toss the chard in the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the mozzarella, season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.