# My duck post (Final): duck prosciutto, duck confit, and seared duck breast with cherry port wine sau



## snorkelinggirl (Nov 16, 2013)

About 14 months ago, in a moment of hubris and stupidity, I purchased 2 butchered ducks from a local farmer.  

Those ducks have sat in my freezer since then. They terrified me. I could hear them laughing at me, quacking sinisterly, every time I opened up my freezer.  They even got other cuts of meat to laugh at me: the full packer brisket, the bag of 5 pig tongues that I got for a steal, and the sack of 30 chicken feet. It is pretty sad when even your freezer contents disrespect you.  I thought about giving the frozen ducks to my neighbor, who is a hunter and afraid of nothing.  But that would have been too humiliating.

I eventually took my revenge on the packer, the chicken feet, and even the pig tongues.  But the ducks continued their reign of terror in the freezer.  Until now.

So, my post:  2 ducks, 2 days, too intense!  Buckle your seatbelts, kids!

Here's the plan:

Day 1 -
break down ducks
make stock with carcasses
render fat
start curing 2 breasts for prosciutto
dry brine the legs and thighs to confit on Day 2

Day 2 - 
confit legs and thighs in the rendered fat
make 2 seared breasts in cherry port sauce for dinner

The bulk of the work will be done over this weekend. On Monday I'll need to hang the prosciutto to air dry.  The confit is best if it ages in the refrigerator for a bit, so sometime in the next few weeks I'll use the duck confit and the stock to make duck confit risotto and duck & pumpkin ravioli.  I'll update this post over the next few weeks as I go along.


Day 1 

Getting ready to break down the ducks.












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Here are the parts I wanted: 4 breasts with skin left on, 4 leg/thigh parts with skin left on, and the tenderloins which I stripped off the breasts.  












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Duck carcasses for stock, mostly trimmed of fat and skin.












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I covered the carcasses with water, brought it to a boil, skimmed off the scum, then lowered the heat. Added peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, an onion, a couple of carrots, and a couple of stalks of celery. Simmered 6 hours. Poured the stock through a sieve. Here is the stock ready to be used or thrown in the freezer.












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Here is the fat and skin ready to render down in an ovenproof casserole dish. 












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I put it in the oven uncovered at 300 deg F with a small amount of water.  As the fat rendered off and the water evaporated, I gradually lowered the heat down to 250 deg F.  After 3 hours, the cracklings were golden brown, so I removed it from the oven.












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Scooped the cracklings out onto a paper towel-lined plate, and seasoned with salt. Snacks!












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Filtered the rendered fat through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.












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And let it cool.  Will reserve this fat for confitting the legs and thighs.












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Here is the cure mixture for the duck breasts.  I got this duck prosciutto recipe from "Sportsman's Notebook", which my fearless hunter neighbor gave me a year ago.  After I finish making this recipe, I will no longer have to cross the street and avoid eye contact when I see him coming.  I look forward to that.

Per this recipe, for each skin-on duck breast use 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup kosher salt, 6 crushed juniper berries, 1 Tbsp ground white pepper, and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional).  You basically follow the salt box method of curing.

The cure mixture. 












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Put half the salt mix on a large piece of saran wrap.












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Lay the breast on top of the salt mix.












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Cover with the remaining mix, then wrap the saran wrap around the breast tightly.












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Refrigerate for two days, flipping occasionally.












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Here are the leg and thigh pieces, with the legs frenched.  They are "dry brined" with some aromatics a day before confitting to enhance the flavor. I used a recipe by Emeril Lagasse for the duck confit.  Lay the 4 leg/thigh pieces with the skin down.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp ground pepper and 1 Tbsp kosher salt.  












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Place 2 bay leaves, some crushed garlic, and some thyme sprigs over 2 of the pieces.
[













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Then sandwich meat side to meat side with the other 2 pieces.  Sprinkle with another 1/8 tsp of kosher salt.  Place in the refrigerator overnight.












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Dinner tonight used up the tenderloins.  I sauteed shredded brussel sprouts in duck fat with a little duck stock.  Added some duck cracklings for good ducky measure.  Quickly seared the tenderloins.  Served with some baked yam that I browned in the duck fat.  












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That is it for Duck Post Day 1.  Tomorrow I'll be confitting the legs and thighs, and will sear the 2 remaining duck breasts and serve with a cherry sauce for dinner.

Thank you for reading, and hope you can stick it out with me over the next few weeks as I add to this post!

Clarissa


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## dcarch (Nov 16, 2013)

Great post!

Sounds like you have the ducks in a row.

Look forward to more.

dcarch


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 16, 2013)

dcarch said:


> Great post!
> 
> Sounds like you have the ducks in a row.
> 
> ...


Har!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Thanks for checking out my post, d!

Hope you have a great night,

Clarissa


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## bdskelly (Nov 16, 2013)

One word… Gumbo.   

Nuff said

Brian


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## moikel (Nov 16, 2013)

Wow you really channelled your inner French person! What a production.Big ducks too. 
I always thought duck stock made the best risotto.
Duck fat now back in fashion ,never went out at my house. 
Ducks getting a big boost here thanks to a new wave of up market Chinese restaurants competing for the status of best Peking Duck.
Good luck ,that prosciutto looks really special.


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## foamheart (Nov 16, 2013)

Lookin good Clarissa!'

Question have you ever tried roasting your carcasses before making stock? Since the bones would be more porous I wonder if it would enhance the broth?


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

BDSkelly said:


> One word… Gumbo.
> Nuff said
> Brian



Hey Brian,

When I saw your comment I searched the internet and turned up some delicious sounding recipes for duck and andouille sausage gumbo.  This will definitely go on my "to do" list.  Thanks for the suggestion! 

Clarissa



Moikel said:


> Wow you really channelled your inner French person! What a production.Big ducks too.
> I always thought duck stock made the best risotto.
> Duck fat now back in fashion ,never went out at my house.
> Ducks getting a big boost here thanks to a new wave of up market Chinese restaurants competing for the status of best Peking Duck.
> Good luck ,that prosciutto looks really special.



Hi Mick,

Thanks very much!  I'm pretty excited about the prosciutto.  I made duck prosciutto once before just using the straight salt box method, and it was delicious.  I hope this will be better.  In any event, the idea of winter greens sauteed in duck fat with a poached egg and duck prosciutto has got both my husband and I looking forward to it.  Have a great day!

Clarissa



Foamheart said:


> Lookin good Clarissa!'
> 
> Question have you ever tried roasting your carcasses before making stock? Since the bones would be more porous I wonder if it would enhance the broth?



Hi Foam,

Thank you! I've always roasted beef bones before making beef stock, but I didn't think about doing it for the duck carcasses. I'm sure you are right, and it would enhance the flavor and yield a darker more intense stock.  Too late on this go around, unfortunately, but I'll try that next time. Have a great day!

Clarissa


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## bdskelly (Nov 17, 2013)

Foamheart will tell you that using duck fat will make an incredible roux.  I have not been fortunate enough to give it a try.  So...You might consider reserving some of your fat for a Gumbo project.


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## themule69 (Nov 17, 2013)

Clarissa

That is some good looking duck
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	









. You will now be able to smile when you walk past the ducks in the store. I see a lot more of them in your freezer in the future, Keep the pics coming.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Happy smoken.

David


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

BDSkelly said:


> Foamheart will tell you that using duck fat will make an incredible roux.  I have not been fortunate enough to give it a try.  So...You might consider reserving some of your fat for a Gumbo project.



Hi Brian,

Thanks again for the suggestions!!  The great thing about the confit method is that it is a low temp cooking process.  So the duck fat can be strained and reused again and again, getting more flavorful in the process.  I'll definitely hang on to some of it to use for making gumbo.  

Oh, BTW, I was on a cooking forum thread about duck fat earlier today.  I happened to see a post from someone who lives in Dallas.  She said that Central Market in Dallas is a good place to buy duck fat.  The thread was 2 years old, but if Central Market is in your area, maybe you could still find duck fat there for the next time you whip up gumbo.  

Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

themule69 said:


> Clarissa
> That is some good looking duck:Looks-Great:
> 
> 
> ...



Hey David,

Thanks so much for the compliments and checking out my post!  Funny you should mention it, but I was already thinking today about buying a couple of more ducks to try out Brian's duck gumbo suggestion and such.  :biggrin:

Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## disco (Nov 17, 2013)

I find myself kneeling in front of my computer. Duck stock, duck pastrami, duck confit...

Songs will be sung and odes will be written! 

This is a great project.

Disco


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## foamheart (Nov 17, 2013)

I bet she channeled Julia Child while cooking all this...... When reading Clarissa's comments I can hear Julia's voice!

Clarissa's French provincial is showing. AND it is quite impressive.


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## disco (Nov 17, 2013)

Foamheart said:


> I bet she channeled Julia Child while cooking all this...... When reading Clarissa's comments I can hear Julia's voice!
> 
> Clarissa's French provincial is showing. AND it is quite impressive.


Sorry, I don't ever remember Julia doing a full breakdown of a duck like this. Julia would be taking notes from Clarissa's post.

Disco


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## leah elisheva (Nov 17, 2013)

Clarissa, this is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!

I'm not only amazed and impressed by your doings, but by your freezer's grand contents as well!

How very fantastic! This was just terrific to see!

Cheers and happy Sunday! - Leah


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## shtrdave (Nov 17, 2013)

The duck looks great, I have only made them on a rotisserie, a couple of scores of the skin and they have come out great, but you have went far beyond and looks like there will be nothing gone to waste.


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

Disco said:


> I find myself kneeling in front of my computer. Duck stock, duck pastrami, duck confit...
> 
> Songs will be sung and odes will be written!
> 
> ...






Foamheart said:


> I bet she channeled Julia Child while cooking all this...... When reading Clarissa's comments I can hear Julia's voice!
> 
> Clarissa's French provincial is showing. AND it is quite impressive.






Disco said:


> Sorry, I don't ever remember Julia doing a full breakdown of a duck like this. Julia would be taking notes from Clarissa's post.
> 
> Disco



You guys are awesome!  Thank you so much for the compliments.

But I'm afraid the only way I channel Julia is by drinking wine while cooking.  :biggrin:


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

LeahOceanNotes said:


> Clarissa, this is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!
> 
> I'm not only amazed and impressed by your doings, but by your freezer's grand contents as well!
> 
> ...



Thank you so much for the compliments and checking out my post, Leah!  Your upbeat comments always put a smile on my face!

Thanks and have a great night!
Clarissa




shtrdave said:


> The duck looks great, I have only made them on a rotisserie, a couple of scores of the skin and they have come out great, but you have went far beyond and looks like there will be nothing gone to waste.



Hi Dave,

I think rotisserie is probably the best way to go to get that gorgeous crisp skin and moist interior.  I don't think you are missing out on anything!  You should definitely do a post on your duck method, I'd love to see it!

Thanks so much for the compliments, and have a great night!
Clarissa


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## bdskelly (Nov 17, 2013)

> But I'm afraid the only way I channel Julia is by drinking wine while cooking.


Does this mean that we ALL channel Julia ?


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

BDSkelly said:


> Does this mean that we ALL channel Julia ?



And I'm certain she would approve!


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## mr t 59874 (Nov 17, 2013)

Clarissa, I'm stocked up on beer and popcorn for this one.  Would be interested in how you prepare your chicken feet. I pickle mine along with making dim sum and of coarse stock.

Tom


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## olmy (Nov 17, 2013)

Ummmm........ I don't quite know what to say! I am still wiping the tears from my eyes. Great post! I am definitely going to look more into this duck prosciutto, sounds like a fantastic way to use up some of the woody and mallard breasts I have in the freezer.


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## mdboatbum (Nov 17, 2013)

Wow!! I like the idea of duck prosciutto. Been wanting to try duck breast bacon, but now I'm torn. Thanks for the awesome post!!


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

Mr T 59874 said:


> Clarissa, I'm stocked up on beer and popcorn for this one.  Would be interested in how you prepare your chicken feet. I pickle mine along with making dim sum and of coarse stock.
> 
> Tom



Hi Tom,

I don't usually do anything special with the chicken feet, I just simmer them when I am making stock.  I leave some of them in my stock, but I remove the rest after about 1 1/2 hours and eat all of the soft and edible bits.  I've also tried simmering them in a chinese-style marinade, which is very tasty too. 

I'd love to see your recipe for pickled chicken feet!  I just did a quick search on the forum, and unless I missed it, it doesn't look like you have a post out on this yet.  I'd love it if you would post on this next time you make them!!!

Hope you have a great night!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

Olmy said:


> Ummmm........ I don't quite know what to say! I am still wiping the tears from my eyes. Great post! I am definitely going to look more into this duck prosciutto, sounds like a fantastic way to use up some of the woody and mallard breasts I have in the freezer.



Hi Olmy,

Thank you!!  Definitely look into duck prosciutto....if you do an internet search, you'll see many versions of this.  I think you'll have a great time using up your freezer duck breasts!  

Have a great night!
Clarissa




Mdboatbum said:


> Wow!! I like the idea of duck prosciutto. Been wanting to try duck breast bacon, but now I'm torn. Thanks for the awesome post!!



Hey Md,

Thank you so much!  Duck breast bacon sounds like a lot of fun, too.  If you go this route, please be sure to post on it!  I'd really be interested in how it works out for you!

Have a great night!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 17, 2013)

Day 2

OK, today I finished up the duck confit, and also used up the last 2 duck breasts for dinner.  

The duck pieces for confit need to dry brine for at least 1 and up to 2 days.  I went with 1 day just due to time constraints.  Melt your duck fat over very low heat. Brush the garlic and herbs off your duck parts, then rinse in cool water, and pat dry thoroughly. 







Lay the duck thigh/leg pieces in a single layer in a deep casserole or oven proof dish that is just big enough for the duck.  Some recipes say skin down, some say skin up.  I went with skin up, but I don't know if it really matters.












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Add enough duck fat to cover the duck pieces.  If you don't have enough duck fat, you can supplement with olive oil.  I used the duck fat I rendered yesterday, and supplemented it with some duck fat I purchased a year ago for this purpose, and which has been sitting in my freezer since then.












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Preheat the oven to 280 deg F.  Cook uncovered at 280 deg F until you see some gentle bubbling of the fat, then lower the heat down to 225 deg F or even down to 200 deg F.  You basically want to maintain a very gentle simmer for about 3 hours or so. When you can easily insert a toothpick into the duck, and it has pulled away from the bone, it is done.












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Use a slotted spoon to remove the duck parts from the fat, and place in a container that will hold the duck snugly and that you can cover in the refrigerator.  In this picture you can see why I frenched the duck legs when prepping them.  Frenching allows for the leg meat to contract up to the thigh, which leaves a nice compact ball of meat.












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Filter the liquid duck fat, leaving behind any sediment or any juices which would have collected at the bottom of the casserole dish.  If you plan to use your confit within a week, you don't need to worry too much about the juices; you even could just pull the duck confit out of the oven, let it cool, then refrigerate as is.  However, if you want to improve the storage life of your confit, you want to eliminate the juices and just cover your duck meat with clean fat.  

Remember, juice (i.e. water) = bacterial growth medium = reduced storage life.  

Cover your duck with the clean filtered fat by an inch or so, cool, then cover and refrigerate.  It should keep for 2-3 weeks or even longer if you did a good job of eliminating all juice.  The flavor will improve as it ages in the refrigerator.  I will let mine age in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, and then will use it to make a couple of different recipes.  Stay tuned!












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For dinner tonight I seared the last 2 remaining duck breasts and served them with a port wine cherry sauce.  The recipe I followed is from epicurious.com (Seared Duck Breast with Cherries and Port Sauce).

Start off by scoring the fat side of your duck breast down to the breast, but not into the breast meat.  This is easier than it sounds. Season with salt and pepper.












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Prep the sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup minced shallot, 16 dark cherries (pitted and halved), 1 cup duck stock, 1/4 cup tawny port, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp butter. 












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Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a cast iron pan over medium high heat.  Add the duck breast with the skin side down.  Sear for 5 minutes.












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Flip over, lower heat to medium, then cook for additional 4 - 8 minutes depending on the size of the breast.  You are going for a rare-medium-rare.  I went with 6 minutes as our duck breasts were pretty large. Pull the breasts from the pan, tent with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce.












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Drain the pan of all but a couple Tbsp of pan drippings.  Saute the minced shallot in the drippings for about 30 seconds. 












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Add the stock, cherries, port, and honey.  Bring to boil and reduce for about 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in the butter, season with salt and pepper.












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And here is tonight's plated shot.  The duck breast was a perfect medium rare.  The sauce was a little more liquidy than I had pictured, but the flavor was great.  I served the sliced duck breast and cherry sauce with mashed buttercup squash and steamed cauliflower.  












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Whew!!  A good weekend of cooking.  Next up tomorrow is hanging the duck breast prosciutto.  Thank you for reading and sticking with me!!

Have a great night!
Clarissa


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## moikel (Nov 18, 2013)

_Brilliant I love it ! 
I assume that confit leg is going to a cassoulet ingredient?
Real winter food._


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## leah elisheva (Nov 18, 2013)

Oh Clarissa, it just keeps getting better and better! The duck looks as if cooked perfectly! It all looks delicious!! Cheers! (This was a fun thread to follow indeed). - Leah


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## jarjarchef (Nov 18, 2013)

Great Job!!!!

Looking forward to the future uses of your ducks......risotto, ravioli and gumbo all sound great for a start......

I think when you walk through the freezer section and even the fresh meats.... the ducks will fear you!!!!


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## daveomak (Nov 18, 2013)

Absolutely a great tutorial and the pictures are making me hungry...... You are ACES Clarissa......


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 18, 2013)

Moikel said:


> _Brilliant I love it !
> I assume that confit leg is going to a cassoulet ingredient?
> Real winter food._



Hi Mick,

Thank you!!

Cassoulet is a great idea...I should have enough time to make some sausage to go with it while the confit is aging in the refrigerator.  I definitely want to use a little of the confit to make duck confit risotto.  

Have a great night!
Clarissa



LeahOceanNotes said:


> Oh Clarissa, it just keeps getting better and better! The duck looks as if cooked perfectly! It all looks delicious!! Cheers! (This was a fun thread to follow indeed). - Leah



Hi Leah,

Thank you so much!  I love seared duck breast...I always order it when I see it on a restaurant menu.  This was my first time making it at home, and I definitely wasn't disappointed!  Thanks so much for the compliments, and have a great night!

Clarissa



jarjarchef said:


> Great Job!!!!
> 
> Looking forward to the future uses of your ducks......risotto, ravioli and gumbo all sound great for a start......
> 
> I think when you walk through the freezer section and even the fresh meats.... the ducks will fear you!!!!



Hi Chef,

I really appreciate you checking out my post, and the compliments!  I love having a refrigerator full of cured and preserved meat, so many options on how to use them.  I'm glad I am finally able to command respect from the ducks, it definitely took me long enough!  :biggrin:  

Have a great night!
Clarissa




DaveOmak said:


> Absolutely a great tutorial and the pictures are making me hungry...... You are ACES Clarissa......



Hi Dave,

I really appreciate your kind words and compliments.  Thank you so much!!!

Have a great evening!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 18, 2013)

Day 3

I got the duck breast prosciutto hanging this morning before I left for work.  I ended up curing them for about 40 hours...when I checked on the feel of them this morning, they seemed plenty firm to the touch, so I decided to wash off the cure and hang them this morning instead of waiting until the afternoon.

Here are what they looked like after I washed off all the cure and patted them dry.  You can see that the meat is darker in color and it was firm to the touch.  It takes 1 to 2 days for this using the salt box method.  












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Here is a closeup of one of the breasts.  Notice how the meat is almost translucent on the edges.












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Just for ease of comparison, I'm reposting a picture showing the uncured duck breast so that you can easily see the difference in color and texture.












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Weigh each breast so that you will be able to see how much weight they lose while drying.

Every recipe I've ever seen on duck prosciutto recommends that you wrap the breasts in cheesecloth and then truss them.  I'm not entirely sure of the reasoning behind this, whether it is prevention of case hardening, protecting the fat layer from exposure to light, or some other reason.  In any case, I follow suit and wrap them in cheesecloth and then truss.  I also weigh them after I have finished trussing so that I know how much weight the cheesecloth and twine add to each breast, as I will not want to bother unwrapping them every time I weigh them.












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And then I hung the trussed breasts in my project refrigerator.  This is just a mini refrigerator, but it does a decent job of maintaining a temperature of around 50 - 55 deg F when I put it at it's lowest setting.  With a couple of pans of salt water inside, I get a humidity that runs between 65% - 80% (depending on how recently the refrigerator compressor has run).  For drying meat, a typical recommendation is that you dry at 55 deg F and 75% humidity, so I am in the right range.  The breasts will need 2-3 weeks or so to dry adequately, with 30% weight loss being the number that everyone throws around.  












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And that's it for now!  I'll pick this thread up in a couple of weeks after the prosciutto is dried and the confit has aged.

Thank you for reading, and sticking with me for the last 3 days!!
Clarissa


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## themule69 (Nov 18, 2013)

Clarissa

 I want to start with a trip to
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. I know that is not a nice way to start a reply. The reason you get a trip to the wood shed. Is now I have to have a second project fridge. I already knew I wanted one for aging cheese. But not it is going to happen.

Now that we have finished with that
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. I have to
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  You have done so much with that poor duck that had you frightened. I can't wait for day 4.

Happy smoken.

David


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## foamheart (Nov 18, 2013)

Damn Clarissa, you have seriously surprised me. I came here to learn how to cowboy up a brisket in the new electric and never expected such expertise. You are a impressive lady. And before you play the card, it is only flattery if its not true.

Wow color me impressed. I added a duck to this weeks order just cause of you. I should have gotten two.

Going to have to  start calling you chef.


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## disco (Nov 18, 2013)

OK, here's the deal. Come to the Canadian Rockies. You can bring anyone you want. I will supply the ducks, the beverages and the services of my missus and I as hosts if you will make this wonderful food for us.

Will it help if I beg.

Disco


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## bdskelly (Nov 18, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> Day 3
> 
> I got the duck breast prosciutto hanging this morning before I left for work. I ended up curing them for about 40 hours...when I checked on the feel of them this morning, they seemed plenty firm to the touch, so I decided to wash off the cure and hang them this morning instead of waiting until the afternoon.
> 
> ...


Perfect Truss  OMG these ducks are out of control.


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## snorkelinggirl (Nov 19, 2013)

themule69 said:


> Clarissa
> I want to start with a trip to
> 
> 
> ...



Hi David,

Your comments gave me a good laugh!  But yeah, project refrigerators are great.  I'd like a second one too....one running at regular refrigerator temps, and one running warmer at curing chamber temp & humidity.  

And thank you so much for the compliments!  Have a great day!
Clarissa




Foamheart said:


> Damn Clarissa, you have seriously surprised me. I came here to learn how to cowboy up a brisket in the new electric and never expected such expertise. You are a impressive lady. And before you play the card, it is only flattery if its not true.
> 
> Wow color me impressed. I added a duck to this weeks order just cause of you. I should have gotten two.
> 
> Going to have to  start calling you chef.



Hey Foam,

That is all so nice of you to say!!  Thank you, you completely made my day!!

We will see in a couple of weeks if I have really earned this praise, or if I have to slink into the corner with my moldy prosciutto and inedible confit!  :biggrin:

I'm glad you got a duck ordered.  I can't wait to see what you do with it! 

Thank you again!  Have a great day!
Clarissa



Disco said:


> OK, here's the deal. Come to the Canadian Rockies. You can bring anyone you want. I will supply the ducks, the beverages and the services of my missus and I as hosts if you will make this wonderful food for us.
> 
> Will it help if I beg.
> 
> Disco



Hey Disco,

Wowzers, you guys are definitely making me blush this morning!  Thank you so much for the compliments!!!   

And thank you for the offer!....I, my husband, and my 10 closest friends will be arriving shortly.  And staying for 2 weeks, as is required by the prosciutto and confit.  We appreciate you hosting us during our ski vacation  cooking efforts.  

See you soon!  
Clarissa

:canada-flag-68:




BDSkelly said:


> Perfect Truss  OMG these ducks are out of control.



Hey Brian,

I practiced trussing on some socks before doing the duck breasts.....I've got a lot of pairs of trussed socks lying around right now!  :biggrin:

Thanks so much!  Hope you have a great day!
Clarissa


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## mr t 59874 (Nov 19, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> Hi Tom,
> 
> I don't usually do anything special with the chicken feet, I just simmer them when I am making stock. I leave some of them in my stock, but I remove the rest after about 1 1/2 hours and eat all of the soft and edible bits. I've also tried simmering them in a chinese-style marinade, which is very tasty too.
> 
> ...


Can do.

Tom


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## aanthony (Nov 29, 2013)

This all looks delicious and fun to boot. Now I need to buy a duck and copy you!


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## moikel (Dec 5, 2013)

Are we there yet
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.Whats doing Clarissa ? Patience not my strong suit.


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 6, 2013)

Moikel said:


> Are we there yet:popcorn .Whats doing Clarissa ? Patience not my strong suit.



Hi Mick,

Still a bit to go.  The duck prosciutto still needs to lose another 10% in weight, and is still a bit squishy.  It smells fine, so I hope that all is going well.  I've seen other people take up to 5 weeks to dry the duck breasts.  The confit is ready to eat anytime, I've been holding off because my husband has been out of town.  Will be updating this post soon.  Thanks for checking in!!

Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## dirtsailor2003 (Dec 6, 2013)

I knew it had to be someone from Corvallis cooking ducks!

Looking forward to seeing the prosciutto! All the rest looks great too!


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## leah elisheva (Dec 6, 2013)

Clarissa, you are amazing!

Following your cookery is just one gastronomical and grand culinary delight!

It will be fun to see how your next doings turn out!

Meanwhile, happy Friday and happy all!

Cheers!!! - Leah


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 12, 2013)

After 24 days of drying in my project refrigerator which was running about 50 - 55 deg F and 65 - 75% humidity, I decided to call it good on the duck prosciutto. Each duck breast lost approximately 25% of the initial weight.  I was initially targeting for about a 30% weight loss, but they felt plenty firm to the touch today and I didn't want them to get overly dry and turn into duck jerky.

Here is the meat side of a breast.  Dark colored, firm to the touch, translucent on the edges.  No mold growth of any kind, which I was especially happy to see. 












IMG025.jpg



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Here is the fat side.












IMG027.jpg



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A few thin slices.  A little bit of case hardening, but not too bad. I'm going to add humidity control to my project frig someday, and that should solve that problem. But in general I'm quite pleased with how it dried. The flavor is very intense and rich....richer than pork prosciutto and of course quite ducky in taste. I couldn't really taste the spices from the cure at all.  Salty, but not overly so. Next time I do this I might dust on some spices before drying.












IMG028.jpg



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Cross-sectional view.












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And plated!  Red chard sauteed in duck fat, topped with fried eggs and some thinly sliced duck prosciutto.  A little mashed butternut squash on the side.  












IMG037.jpg



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Sheer heaven!












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I'll be adding a bit more to this post in another week or so when I break into the confit, so hope you'll stick with me for just a bit longer!

Thanks for reading!
Clarissa


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## daveomak (Dec 13, 2013)

Clarissa......  my o my that looks good.....   


Have you thought of trying the "saturated brine' humidity control for the project fridge.....


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## moikel (Dec 13, 2013)

You hit that out of the park! Great colour. Sort of thing that would go well in a reinforced salad of bitter greens to counterpoint the duck fat.


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## moikel (Dec 13, 2013)

Moikel said:


> You hit that out of the park! Great colour. Sort of thing that would go well in a reinforced salad of bitter greens to counterpoint the duck fat.


That said with eggs looks just perfect . I ate salads in up country France that used duck gizzards ,( cured)bitter greens & soft poached egg & that great rustic bread.
I just think this is great demonstration of " old school "  kitchen skills. Way to go Clarissa.


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## leah elisheva (Dec 13, 2013)

Clarissa, you are an absolute rock star with food!!!

The egg oozing with perfection, the vibrant contrast on the duck slivers, and the textures of the squash and chard really jumping off the screen as well; WOW!

It is a joy to follow your beautiful posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Friday!!! Cheers! - Leah


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 13, 2013)

DaveOmak said:


> Clarissa......  my o my that looks good.....
> 
> 
> Have you thought of trying the "saturated brine' humidity control for the project fridge.....



Good morning, Dave.  Thank you so much!!

I did use a couple of pans of salted water in the frig, which helped me to hold the 65 - 75% humidity levels.  Unfortunately, every time the refrigerator compressor kicked on, it would pull the humidity levels down to 65% or even lower and then it would take a little while for the humidity to come back up.  But the salted water trick did help a lot.  I made duck prosciutto about a year ago without the salted water pans in the frig; according to my notes the  humidity levels were running between 50 - 65% with 50 - 55 deg F temp, and I did have more case hardening that time.  This current batch was a big improvement.  I'm going to try curing and drying a small (1 1/2 lb) beef eye of round into bresaola after the holidays using this same set-up, and we'll see how it goes and if case hardening is a problem or not.

Thanks again for checking out my post, and have a great day!!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 13, 2013)

Moikel said:


> You hit that out of the park! Great colour. Sort of thing that would go well in a reinforced salad of bitter greens to counterpoint the duck fat.






Moikel said:


> That said with eggs looks just perfect . I ate salads in up country France that used duck gizzards ,( cured)bitter greens & soft poached egg & that great rustic bread.
> I just think this is great demonstration of " old school "  kitchen skills. Way to go Clarissa.



Hi Mick!

Wow, thank you very much for the compliments!!

And you and I are totally on the same page regarding the bitter greens. I've got some folks coming over for dinner next week, and my planned starter course is a salad using bitter greens with duck prosciutto and sliced pear.  I'll be pulling out the confit for this meal too, but haven't totally decided how I am going to serve it.....I'm torn between serving it shredded with pumpkin gnocchi and sauteed chard, or going more french country and serving it with warm green lentil salad, and a potato/parsnip puree.  Thoughts?

Thanks again!  Hope you have a great day!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 13, 2013)

LeahOceanNotes said:


> Clarissa, you are an absolute rock star with food!!!
> 
> The egg oozing with perfection, the vibrant contrast on the duck slivers, and the textures of the squash and chard really jumping off the screen as well; WOW!
> 
> ...



Good morning, Leah! 

Don't you just love color?  I love a colorful plate, it makes me really happy.  Although I think I was channeling you when I plated dinner as I seem to have arranged my prosciutto to look like an octopus!  :biggrin:

Thank you so much for your compliments and following my post!  I hope you have a great Friday and weekend!
Clarissa


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## moikel (Dec 13, 2013)

Gnocchi my pick, al day.
I pick some wild greens here mostly from the thistle family then add shop bought things like chicory , endive ,rucola.


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 18, 2013)

We had some friends over for dinner tonight where I served up the duck confit and the 2nd breast of duck prosciutto.  It was a great dinner, I'm really happy with how it came out.

Starter course was butternut squash crostini: butternut squash puree, whole milk ricotta cheese, toasted hazelnuts, and a drizzle of balsamic butter reduction.












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Here is the duck prosciutto all thinly sliced and ready to go. 












IMG052.jpg



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Second course was duck prosciutto and pear salad with mixed greens, feta cheese, toasted hazelnuts, and pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette.












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IMG056.jpg



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Here is the duck confit pulled out of the fat and ready to heat up for serving.  It has been aging in my refrigerator completely covered by duck fat since November 17th, so almost exactly 1 month.  I heated it up in a 425 deg F oven for about 12 minutes. The fat that I used for storing the duck confit in the refrigerator will be filtered and stored back in my freezer until I make duck confit again. It can be reused over and over until the fat is too salty to reuse.












IMG057.jpg



__ snorkelinggirl
__ Dec 18, 2013






Main course was the duck confit served on a french green lentil salad.  I had originally planned to serve the confit with something fancier like butternut squash gnocchi, but I ran out of time and opted for the easier lentil salad.  












IMG059 - Copy.jpg



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__ Dec 18, 2013






The confit was so moist and flavorful.  The saltiness level was just perfect, and the meat was so tender and succulent it could easily be forked off the bone.  












IMG063.jpg



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__ Dec 18, 2013






Dessert was a mixed berry crisp (blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry) that I made using berries that I froze this summer.  Served with vanilla ice cream.












IMG064.jpg



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Overall I'd have to say that this was one of the best meals I've ever made. The prosciutto and the confit were absolutely delicious.  

This wraps up My Duck Post.  Thanks to everyone for reading it and sticking with me!

Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## foamheart (Dec 18, 2013)

Beautiful meal, and I am sure it tastes better than it even looks. Truly impressive Clarissa, I mean the chef, the meal is beyond compliment.

Amazing M'Lady. I am in complete awe of your art.


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## disco (Dec 18, 2013)

There is a reason these dishes are classics. You have illustrated why and inspired us mere mortals. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Disco


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

Foamheart said:


> Beautiful meal, and I am sure it tastes better than it even looks. Truly impressive Clarissa, I mean the chef, the meal is beyond compliment.
> 
> Amazing M'Lady. I am in complete awe of your art.



Many thanks for the glowing compliments, Foam!!  This duck project turned out much better than I thought it might.....I'm definitely getting a couple of more ducks very soon and will repeat the prosciutto and confit.  

Thanks again for reading my post and Happy Holidays!
Clarissa




Disco said:


> There is a reason these dishes are classics. You have illustrated why and inspired us mere mortals. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
> 
> Disco



Hi Disco, thank you so much!   I really appreciate your compliments and for following my post!

Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## moikel (Dec 19, 2013)

This is classic French farmhouse cookery,existed long before all the fancy smancy stuff & will be remembered & reproduced long after  I am gone.
In some ways it pre dates refrigeration, that cured duck would busted out in spring when the wild( free) greens were in season,the confit leg in winter.
I just love the fact that Clarissa has the skills to show case this style of cookery, like that great Aussie band ACDC sang " I tell you folks its harder than it looks,......it's  a long way to the top if you want to rock & roll"  
This is real all round skill.Its also a bit rock & roll .


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## moikel (Dec 19, 2013)

The salad I could eat now the rest a bit heavy when tomorrow is going to go over 40c.


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## leah elisheva (Dec 19, 2013)

Clarissa, your friends must want to damn near move right in!!!! WOW!

Such a beautiful dinner and fantastic arrangement and such rustic and authentically "culinary" creations you have here! BRAVO to you!

And the pictures are gorgeous!!!

Happy Thursday! Your posts are just sensational to see! Cheers! - Leah


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## dirtsailor2003 (Dec 19, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> IMG052.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...


MMMMMMMM!!!! That looks fantastic!! Nice work Clarissa! Your guests were very lucky!


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

Moikel said:


> This is classic French farmhouse cookery,existed long before all the fancy smancy stuff & will be remembered & reproduced long after  I am gone.
> In some ways it pre dates refrigeration, that cured duck would busted out in spring when the wild( free) greens were in season,the confit leg in winter.
> I just love the fact that Clarissa has the skills to show case this style of cookery, like that great Aussie band ACDC sang " I tell you folks its harder than it looks,......it's  a long way to the top if you want to rock & roll"
> This is real all round skill.Its also a bit rock & roll .





Moikel said:


> The salad I could eat now the rest a bit heavy when tomorrow is going to go over 40c.



Wow, Mick. Your compliments are making me blush!  Thank you!!  

I love these traditional methods of preserving food.  Because I got all the juice separated out before storing it, that confit could have sat in my refrigerator all winter and still been good.  And all the hard work was done weeks ago, so it makes it so much easier to pull together a nice meal with little time.

I had really wanted to make those butternut squash gnocchi that we talked about, but ultimately ran out of time.  But I'll do that next time, as it seems like some gnocchi sauteed in duck fat, and tossed with wilted greens and shredded confit would be amazing.

Thanks again for following my post, and Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> MMMMMMMM!!!! That looks fantastic!! Nice work Clarissa! Your guests were very lucky!



Thank you, Case!!   The duck prosciutto came out fantastic, very little case hardening.  Next up, beef eye-of-round bresaola.  And if that works out OK, I'll be pulling some of our deer backstrap or sirloin out of the freezer and trying the venison bresaola like you suggested.

P.S. - I'll be trying your spatchcocked chicken recipe next week.  My smoker only gets to 250 deg F, but I think I'll smoke it for an hour or so, then finish it on the Weber grill.  

Thanks again for following my post, and Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

Leah Elisheva said:


> Clarissa, your friends must want to damn near move right in!!!! WOW!
> 
> Such a beautiful dinner and fantastic arrangement and such rustic and authentically "culinary" creations you have here! BRAVO to you!
> 
> ...



Hi Leah!  I've subjected these same friends to more questionable nose-to-tail cookery such as beef tongue pate and chicken liver mousse.  I figured it was time to reward them!  

Thank you so much for the compliments, they always put a smile on my face.  

Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## bear55 (Dec 19, 2013)

Now that is so cool.


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## leah elisheva (Dec 19, 2013)

Beef tongue pate sounds incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If they started "Oscars" on this site (hey, maybe they should, every holiday season, and the ADMIN board should have categories that people win a title or "nod of appreciation" in that year, for having contributed great things to that particularly genre) but ANYWAY, if they did that, you would RULE the rustic cookery section and with flying colors!

I am going to assume you have published your own cookbook already, if not, add THAT to your list of things, (if you so choose), as you'd be a best seller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!!!! - Leah


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## daveomak (Dec 19, 2013)

Leah Elisheva said:


> Beef tongue pate sounds incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jarjarchef (Dec 19, 2013)

Great job. Great to see Classic Cooking is still alive! I would love to one day have a project cooler to do projects like this in, one maybe.........


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

Bear55 said:


> Now that is so cool.



Thank you, Bear55!   I appreciate you checking out my post, and Happy Holidays!
Clarissa



Leah Elisheva said:


> Beef tongue pate sounds incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> If they started "Oscars" on this site (hey, maybe they should, every holiday season, and the ADMIN board should have categories that people win a title or "nod of appreciation" in that year, for having contributed great things to that particularly genre) but ANYWAY, if they did that, you would RULE the rustic cookery section and with flying colors!
> 
> ...



Awww, Leah, thank you again for the fabulous compliments!  Most of my recipes come from other people, so I can't take the credit for them.  But I do love rustic cookery, and beef tongue pate IS amazing.  

Thanks again!
Clarissa



DaveOmak said:


> Leah Elisheva said:
> 
> 
> > Beef tongue pate sounds incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> ...


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

jarjarchef said:


> Great job. Great to see Classic Cooking is still alive! I would love to one day have a project cooler to do projects like this in, one maybe.........



Thank you, Chef!!  I'd be hard-pressed to pick between braised pork belly or duck confit if I had to choose my last meal, but it would definitely be one of those. :biggrin:

For the project frig, I just use an old dorm-room style compact refrigerator that can hold around 50 deg F when at its lowest possible setting.  Got it for free from a coworker.  Works reasonably well with a couple of pans of salted water to increase humidity.  I'll probably add a little humidifier at some point. 

Happy Holidays, and thank you for checking out my post!
Clarissa


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## dls1 (Dec 19, 2013)

How in the world did I originally miss this amazing thread? I guess it's a peril of too much travel trying to wrap up year end business stuff.

Let's see, you've got stock, fat, cracklings. tenderloins, breasts for prosciutto or own their own sauteed with a port//cherry sauce, and legs and thighs for confit. The red chard, BN squash, egg, and prosciutto is a classic, and looks beautiful. The entire meal featuring the confit looked stunning and makes me wish I spent some time in the Corvallis area.

All in all, it looks as if it was an epic and rewarding month, and one I would definitely label a "_Duckapalooza"._

Thanks for sharing, Clarissa.


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 19, 2013)

dls1 said:


> How in the world did I originally miss this amazing thread? I guess it's a peril of too much travel trying to wrap up year end business stuff.
> 
> Let's see, you've got stock, fat, cracklings. tenderloins, breasts for prosciutto or own their own sauteed with a port//cherry sauce, and legs and thighs for confit. The red chard, BN squash, egg, and prosciutto is a classic, and looks beautiful. The entire meal featuring the confit looked stunning and makes me wish I spent some time in the Corvallis area.
> 
> ...



Hi David,

It's good to hear from you!  I'm so glad you found and enjoyed my thread.  I'm really pleased with how the prosciutto and confit turned out, and next time I have a couple of ducks I will turn all 4 breast halves into prosciutto instead of searing 2 of them.  You can never have too much prosciutto.

I hope that your work calms down with the holidays and you have time to get back to the fun stuff of cooking and entertaining.  Thank you so much for your extravagant compliments, and for checking out my post!

Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## brian (Dec 20, 2013)

Just incredible work!!!  I read the entire post twice and Im still wondering what kind of duck it was.

Really nice job

Brian


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 20, 2013)

Brian said:


> Just incredible work!!!  I read the entire post twice and Im still wondering what kind of duck it was.
> 
> Really nice job
> Brian



Hi Brian,

Thank you!!  I wish I could tell you the duck breed.  They were domestic ducks raised by a local farmer, each of them weighed 4 - 5 lbs.  

Thanks so much for reading my post, and Happy Holidays!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Dec 26, 2013)

If anyone is interested in the duck prosciutto, here is just a little last update on it.  I pulled the duck prosciutto out of the drying chamber exactly 2 weeks ago.  I had about half of a breast left over which I tightly wrapped in a couple of layers in saran wrap and a sandwich baggie, and had left in my regular refrigerator which runs around 37 deg F.  I finally sliced up the last of it this morning. It was still delicious, no mold had formed, and it hadn't gotten noticeably drier or harder after being left in the frig for a couple of weeks.  I've also read that you can freeze the duck prosciutto to preserve its quality for a longer period of time, but I haven't personally tried that. 

Happy New Year!
Clarissa


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## leah elisheva (Dec 26, 2013)

Clarissa your creations are so fantastic that you could sell them professionally or publish about them or who knows (you may already) but it's just so impressive and fabulous!!!

I learn so much and love seeing the plates and hearing of the updates!!!

Exciting stuff!

Happy wrap up of 2013!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheers! - Leah


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