Best Braised Muscovy Duck Recipes

ROAST MUSCOVY DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Cut off and reserve the wing tips and second wing joint of the duck. Leave the main wing bone intact. Remove the fat from inside the duck and rub it all over the duck.
• Sprinkle the duck, inside and out, with salt and pepper to taste. Brush the duck with the oil.
• Arrange the duck breast-side up in a roasting pan. Add the cutoff wing bones, gizzard and cavity fat. Bake 30 minutes and pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Return the duck to the oven and scatter the celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf, thyme and garlic around the duck. Bake 15 minutes longer if you wish the duck to be medium rare. Or bake it 30 minutes or longer if you wish your duck well done.
• Transfer the duck to a warm platter. Pour the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the vegetables in the pan. Place the pan on the stove and cook the vegetables briefly, stirring. Add the wine and let boil about one minute.
• Add the broth and accumulated cavity drippings from the duck and cook, stirring, about five minutes. Strain the broth and solids, pushing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Heat the butter in a small saucepan, swirling it around until it takes on a nice hazelnut color. Do not burn. Pour the butter over the duck. Carve and serve with the hot pan sauce.

PAN ROASTED MUSCOVY DUCK BREAST WITH A CLEMENTINE - TOMATILLO SAUCE SERVED WITH WILD RICE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a medium oven-proof saute pan over high heat until almost smoking. Season the duck with salt and pepper to taste. Place the breast skin-side down in the pan and cook until golden brown and drain the rendered fat. Turn the breast over, place in the oven and continue cooking to medium doneness, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Serve the duck with the Clementine and Tomatillo Sauce and the Wild Rice Risotto.
• Place 1 cup of the sugar and the rice wine vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture reduces becomes a light caramel color.
• Raise the heat to high and add the orange and tangerine juice and the black peppercorns and cook until reduced to 2 cups. In a small saucepan add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water and cook until the sugar has melted and mixture is slightly thick. Add the clementines to the sugar-water mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatillos and toss to coat. Stir in the reduced chicken stock and heat through.
• Add in the sugar-rice wine vinegar mixture.
• Whisk the ancho chile powder and horseradish into the sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the arborio rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Begin adding the stock. During the last 2 minutes of cooking add the cooked wild rice. Finish with the thyme butter and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• *Fresh thyme butter. Combine 2 sticks of slightly softened butter and 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH PLUMS AND RED WINE

Steps:

• Lay the duck legs on a baking sheet in one layer. In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, clove, allspice and cayenne. Sprinkle salt mixture evenly over duck legs on both sides. Set aside for 20 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate seasoned legs for several hours or overnight.)
• Put a wide, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add duck legs skin side down. Legs will begin to exude fat and sizzle. Let them cook, without moving them, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Turn legs and cook on other side for 10 minutes more.
• Remove browned legs from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons duck fat (save remaining fat for future use). Add diced onion to pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring to incorporate, then add wine and broth and bring to a simmer. Add cinnamon stick, star anise and bay leaf. Chop half the plums into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the simmering broth.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer duck legs to a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Pour the hot broth mixture over legs, then cover and bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more, until legs are quite tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove pot from oven and skim fat from surface. (You may prepare the dish to this point 1 to 2 days in advance, if desired.)
• Heat butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved plums cut side down and sauté for a minute or so, until lightly browned, then turn and cook on skin side for a minute more.
• Transfer duck legs to a warm platter and spoon the hot sauce over them. Garnish with sautéed plums. Mix together parsley, chives, pistachios and lemon zest. Sprinkle parsley mixture over the top and serve.

BRAISED DUCK WITH ONION

Steps:

• Rub duck with salt, soy sauce, brandy and garlic and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil and fry sliced onions until soft but not brown, remove. Add duck and brown all over.
• Put back onion, add water, cover and simmer for 1 hour, add marinade and simmer for 20 minutes more or until duck is tender.
• Dissolve cornstarch with a little water and add to gravy.
• Boil until gravy thickens and serve duck whole with gravy in sauce boat.

ITALIAN RED-WINE BRAISED DUCK WITH OLIVE GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Trim duck legs of extraneous fat with a sharp knife, leaving a thin layer on top. (It is best to do this straight from the fridge, while fat is still firm.) Save duck fat for rendering. If you don't wish to render fat immediately, freeze for up to 2 months
• Season each leg generously with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with ground coriander and fennel. Massage seasoning into meat and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes, or wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Roast duck legs in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes, until nicely browned. Pour off fat accumulated in roasting pan and reserve for another purpose.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Pour olive oil into a wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and let them cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color. Add carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf and orange peel. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the carrot and celery are softened. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir to coat. Add chopped tomato and red wine and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add chicken broth and return to a simmer. Taste sauce for salt and adjust seasoning, adding a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes if desired. Finally, add duck legs, put on the lid, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, until meat is tender when probed with a paring knife.
• Transfer the duck legs to a low baking dish, all in one layer. Skim any fat from surface of sauce. Ladle sauce over duck legs and bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and legs have browned a bit on top. (Duck may be prepared up to 3 days in advance, then reheated.) Sprinkle olive gremolata evenly over dish. Serve with wide ribbons of buttered egg pasta or polenta, if desired.