Best Duck With Lentils And Bacon Date Puree Recipes

DUCK BREAST WITH LENTILS, PEACH CHUTNEY AND PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS

Steps:

• For the lentils: Add olive oil to a high-sided saucepan with a lid and heat until shimmering. Add white onion and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute. Add carrot and celery and cook until just softened, about 4 minutes. Add lentils, bay leaf and thyme stir to coat lentils. Add 2 cups water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard thyme bundle.
• For the rice: Meanwhile, add olive oil to a small saucepot. Heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and mix to coat in oil. Add the coconut milk and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
• For the spice blend: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add coriander, cumin, fenugreek, peppercorns, nutmeg and cloves. Moving the pan constantly, toast the spices until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove spices to a spice grinder and pulse a few times until mixed (it's okay if there are some larger pieces). Set aside until ready to use.
• For the chutney: Add duck fat to a medium saucepot over medium heat and cook until shimmering. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the peaches, turmeric, vinegar, crushed red pepper, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of the spice blend. Cook, stirring, until peaches begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by half until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.
• For the pickled mustard seeds: Add vinegar, mustard seeds, salt, granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, then allow to cool at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Set aside until ready to use.
• For the mustard greens: Meanwhile, add duck fat to a medium saute pan and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add mustard greens and a big pinch of salt and saute until just tender.
• For the duck: Add olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle duck breasts with salt and add duck breasts to pan skin-side down. Cook until skin fat is rendered and skin is crisp, about 15 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Slice duck breasts on a bias and garnish with chutney and mustard seeds. Serve with rice, greens and lentils on the side.

WINE-BRAISED DUCK WITH LENTILS AND WINTER VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Trim the duck legs, keeping the skin intact but removing any extraneous fat. Lay them in one layer on a baking sheet and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add duck legs, skin-side down, and cook until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. (The legs will render a fair amount of fat as they cook.) Flip and cook for about 5 minutes more, until lightly browned. Remove legs from pan and set aside.
• Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from the pan (reserve it for another use). Place pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery, salt lightly, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in bay leaf, thyme sprig, fennel seed and allspice. Continue to cook, stirring, until vegetable mixture is lightly browned, about 5 minutes more.
• Add tomato paste and flour to vegetable mixture and stir well to coat. Cook for a minute or so, then add chicken broth and wine and bring to a simmer. Return duck legs to pan in one layer, skin-side up. (The liquid will not completely cover the legs.)
• Cover pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until legs are tender when probed with the tip of a paring knife.
• Cook the lentils: Pick over lentils for rocks and debris, then rinse well. Place in a saucepan with a good pinch of salt. Using the cloves, pin the bay leaf to the onion. Add to the pot along with thyme sprig. Cover lentils with water by about 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered with lid ajar, until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Taste often so that lentils are neither under nor over-cooked. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
• When duck legs are cooked, remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 225 degrees. Transfer duck legs to an ovenproof serving dish, cover, and keep warm in the oven. Pour braising liquid into a saucepan. Spoon off any fat that rises to the surface and discard. Simmer braising liquid over medium heat until slightly thickened. Pour liquid over duck legs in the serving dish.
• Meanwhile, cook the vegetables: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add carrots, celery root and parsnips. Simmer until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, then drain and toss gently with butter. Sprinkle with half the parsley and chives.
• To serve, place a duck leg, some lentils and a spoonful of vegetables on each plate. Spoon sauce over duck leg and finish with more parsley and chives. Alternatively, pass everything on platters, family-style.

DUCK WITH LENTILS AND BACON-DATE PUREE

Steps:

• For bacon-date puree:
• Sauté bacon in small saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Stir in brandy, scraping up browned bits. Add dates and 1 1/4 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until dates are very soft, about 12 minutes. Transfer to blender. Puree date mixture until smooth, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too thick to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Date puree can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• For lentils:
• Place 8 cups water, lentils, garlic, and bay leaves in medium saucepan. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are just tender but still firm to bite, about 15 minutes or longer, depending on type of lentils. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool. Drain; discard garlic and bay leaves. Transfer to large bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, and 1/3 cup shallots. Sauté until carrots and celery are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir carrot mixture into lentils. Mix remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons shallots and red wine vinegar in small bowl. Let mixture soak 5 minutes, then whisk in remaining 6 tablespoons oil. Add vinaigrette to lentil mixture; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Using sharp knife, score skin of duck breasts diagonally to create 3/4-inchwide diamond pattern. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 large skillet and 1 medium skillet over medium-high heat. Place 2 duck breasts in large skillet and 1 duck breast in medium skillet, skin side down. Cook until skin is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Turn duck, skin side up, and cook until brown and thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 130°F, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer duck to work surface. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from 1 skillet. Add shallot and sauté until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add Sherry vinegar and stir, scraping up browned bits. Add broth; bring to boil. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Thinly slice duck breasts. Spoon 1/4 cup date puree in center of each of 6 plates and spread with back of spoon, forming well in center; spoon lentils into each well. Place duck breast slices atop lentils, dividing equally. Drizzle sauce over and serve.