Glazed Duck With Clementine Sauce And Pistachios Recipes

Steps:

• Braise ducks:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Working from large cavity end, separate duck skin (including fat) from breast meat as much as possible by working your fingers between skin and meat, being careful not to tear skin, then prick skin all over ducks with a fork. Put ducks, breast sides up, side by side in a large flameproof roasting pan and rub each duck inside and out with kosher salt. Divide onions and celery between duck cavities and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar around ducks. Pour enough boiling-hot water over ducks (to help tighten skin) to reach about halfway up ducks (don't fill roasting pan more than 1 inch from rim). Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil, then carefully transfer to oven and braise ducks 1 hour.
• Remove pan from oven and remove foil (do not discard), then carefully turn ducks over (breast sides down) using one large wooden spoon to turn and another inside cavity. Cover with foil, then carefully return to oven and braise until meat is very tender but not falling off the bone, about 1 hour more.
• Chill ducks:
• Remove pan from oven and discard foil. Transfer ducks with wooden spoons to 2 large plates, draining any juices inside ducks back into pan, then transfer cooking liquid to a large bowl. Return ducks to roasting pan, breast sides up, and cool ducks and cooking liquid (separately), uncovered, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours (to firm up duck before roasting and to solidify fat on cooking liquid).
• Prepare glaze and start sauce:
• Discard all fat from chilled cooking liquid.
• Remove zest from 2 large or 4 small clementines in strips with a vegetable peeler, then trim any white pith from zest with a sharp paring knife and cut zest into fine julienne strips. Blanch strips in a small saucepan of boiling water 5 minutes, then drain.
• Squeeze enough juice from remaining clementines to measure 2 cups and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup (glaze will bubble up and darken), about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon glaze in a cup to brush on ducks, then stir julienned zest and 1 cup cooking liquid into glaze remaining in pan and reserve for sauce. Reserve remaining cooking liquid.
• Roast ducks and finish sauce:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F.
• Roast ducks until skin is crisp, 25 to 35 minutes. Brush reserved glaze (from cup) on ducks, then transfer ducks to a platter and let stand while finishing sauce, at least 10 minutes.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from roasting pan and straddle pan over 2 burners. Add shallot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups reserved cooking liquid and deglaze pan by boiling, scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes, then pour through fine-mesh sieve into sauce (containing julienned zest) and bring to a boil.
• Stir together liqueur and arrowroot and whisk into sauce. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes, then season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve ducks, whole or carved into serving pieces, with sauce.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees; heat a medium saucepan of water to a boil.
• Starting at the large cavity end of each duck, separate skin from breast meat as much as possible by working your fingers between skin and meat, being careful not to tear. Prick skin all over with a fork. Place ducks breast side up in a large deep roasting pan. Rub each duck inside and out with coarse salt. Divide onions and celery between cavities. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar around the ducks. Pour enough boiling water over ducks (to help tighten the skin) to reach halfway up them; don't fill roasting pan to more than 1 inch from rim. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil; braise in oven 1 hour. Remove pan from oven; remove foil. Carefully turn ducks over, using one large wooden spoon to turn each duck and another inside cavity to hold it. Cover with foil; braise until meat is tender but not falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
• Transfer ducks to two large plates. Drain any juices inside ducks back into pan; transfer pan juice to a large bowl. Return ducks to roasting pan, breast sides up; let cool. Refrigerate duck and juices, uncovered, 4 hours. Remove fat from chilled pan juices.
• Remove zest from 2 large or 4 small clementines with a vegetable peeler; cut zest into fine strips. Blanch the strips in a small saucepan of boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Squeeze enough juice from remaining clementines to measure 2 cups. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons of the sugar; heat to a boil. Cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer 1 tablespoon of the glaze to a cup; reserve. Stir zest strips and 1 cup of the pan juices into glaze remaining in pan; reserve.
• Heat oven to 500 degrees. Roast ducks, uncovered, until skin is crisp, 25-35 minutes. Brush reserved tablespoon of the glaze over ducks; transfer ducks to a platter. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from roasting pan; set roasting pan over 2 burners. Add shallots; cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until softened and pale golden, 3-5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the reserved pan juices (reserve any remaining juices for another use); heat to a boil. Cook, scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into the glaze and zest mixture; heat to a boil.
• Stir together liqueur and arrowroot in a small cup until smooth; whisk into sauce. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve duck with sauce; sprinkle with pistachios.

Steps:

• 1. In a small saucepan, bring the port to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the figs to the pan, remove from the heat, and let the figs rehydrate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
• 2. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa, pistachios, and chicken stock or broth. Strain the figs from the port, reserving the port. Add the figs to the quinoa mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover, and leave on the burner to keep warm.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a sharp knife, score the fat on the duck breasts in a crisscross pattern, making cuts about 1 inch apart. Place the honey in a small bowl and stir in the hot sauce, if using, and 1 teaspoon of the reserved port. Season both sides of the duck with salt and pepper.
• 4. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the duck breasts skin-side down and cook undisturbed until the fat is mostly rendered, leaving a crispy crust, about 7 minutes. Use a spoon or a baster to remove all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the duck fat. With a spatula or a pair of tongs, turn the breasts over and brush the skin side with the honey mixture.
• 5. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or to desired level of doneness. For safety, the meat should have an internal temperature of 165°F when checked with a meat thermometer. Let the duck rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute, then transfer to a cutting board and thinly slice each breast on the diagonal.
• 6. To serve, stir the thyme into the quinoa mixture. Divide the quinoa among four plates and fan the slices of duck breast over it. Drizzle with the remaining port-honey sauce if desired. Serve immediately.