Duck Confit On Country Toast With Fig Chutney Recipes

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the red wine to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the figs, orange juice, honey, cayenne, rosemary and star anise and bring back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the figs soften and the mixture thickens, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom. Cool to room temperature before removing the anise and rosemary.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or its highest possible setting. Toast the bread: lay the bread slices directly on the oven rack and toast in the heated oven until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Place the toast on 4 warmed plates.
• Meanwhile, trim stems off the figs. Slice the figs in half and dip them in sugar, turning so they are well coated. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter, add the almonds, and saute until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set them aside. Heat the remaining butter in a skillet until foaming. Add the figs, cut side down, and saute until done, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Set the figs on the toast and spoon over the pan juices. Top each toast with yogurt and a sprinkling of toasted almonds. Serve at once so the toast stays crisp.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, mustard seeds, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, salt, allspice, and cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until mixture is thickened and reduced by 2/3, forming a thick syrup. Add the figs and cook gently until the figs are very soft and beginning to fall apart and most of the liquid they've given off has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chutney to a non-reactive container and allow to come to room temperature before serving. The chutney may be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (Alternately, hot chutney may be ladled into hot sterilized canning jars and processed in a hot-water bath according to manufacturer's directions.)

Steps:

• Season the duck legs with kosher salt on both sides. Place them in a large resealable bag. Add the lemon zest and slices, garlic, allspice berries, juniper berries and fresh thyme. Seal, and massage the duck legs through the bag until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Refrigerate for 24 hours to marinate.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).
• Remove the duck legs from the marinade. Rinse them off and pat dry. Place the rest of the contents of the bag into the bottom of an oven safe dish just large enough to hold the legs in a single layer, preferably enameled cast iron or glass. Arrange the duck legs skin side down in the dish. Pour the duck fat into a small saucepan and warm over low heat until liquid. Pour over the duck legs until they are completely covered. If the legs are not covered, you can top it off with some olive oil. As the legs cook, more fat will be rendered from the skin. Cover the dish with a lid.
• Bake for 6 to 7 hours in the preheated oven, until the meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove the duck legs from the fat and place in a sealable container. You may leave the bones in or remove them. Make sure there is room at the top of the container. Strain all of the solids from the remaining fat and discard the solids. Pour the fat over the duck in the container, covering completely. Seal and allow to come to room temperature. Once the jar is cool, place in the refrigerator and let the duck meat cure for 2 months. Reserve any leftover duck fat for other uses.