Duck with Figs and Port

Name: Duck with Figs and Port
Prep time: 6 h
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 bay leaf; 2 Tbsps cold unsalted butter, diced; 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, cracked; 3 kilograms duck; 6 dried black figs, stemmed and halved; 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced; 4 servings Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 946 milliliters low-sodium chicken broth; 3 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil; 237 milliliters ruby port; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 2 mediums shallots

Duck with Figs and Port

Duck with Figs and Port is a gluten free and primal main course. This recipe serves 4. One portion of this dish contains about 84g of protein, 286g of fat, and a total of 3094 calories. Head to the store and pick up ruby port, olive oil, coriander seeds, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the red wine vinegar you could follow this main course with the Cherry-Berry Pie as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 6 hours.

Instructions

Place the duck breast-side up on a cutting board.

Ingredients you will need

Duck Breast

Equipment you will use

Cutting Board

Remove and reserve the giblets and discard the liver. Break down the duck and score the breasts.

Ingredients you will need

Liver

Whole Duck

Puree the shallots, ginger and coriander in a mini food processor. Season the duck legs and the meat side of the breasts with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the ginger mixture. Cover and refrigerate the duck and the remaining ginger mixture while you make the stock.

Ingredients you will need

Coriander

Duck Leg

Shallot

Ginger

Pepper

Stock

Whole Duck

Meat

Salt

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Make the duck stock: Trim the excess fat from the duck bones and chop into 6 to 8 pieces.

Ingredients you will need

Stock

Whole Duck

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat; add the bones, reserved wings and giblets and brown, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Chicken Wings

Equipment you will use

Dutch Oven

Add the broth and enough water to cover the bones. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, about 3 hours, skimming as needed. Strain the duck stock and skim off any excess fat from the surface. (The stock can be made a day ahead. Just cover and refrigerate.)

Ingredients you will need

Stock

Water

Whole Duck

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Place the duck legs on a rack in a roasting pan with 1/4 inch water. Roast until brown and crisp, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Duck Leg

Water

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add the reserved ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Ginger

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Add the port and scrape up any browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Boil until the mixture looks like wet sand.

Ingredients you will need

Port

Equipment you will use

Wooden Spoon

Frying Pan

Add 3 cups of the duck stock and the bay leaf and simmer until the liquid reduces by about three-quarters, about 45 minutes. Strain into a separate saucepan.

Ingredients you will need

Bay Leaves

Stock

Whole Duck

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Add the figs and heat until plump, about 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Figs

Whisk in the butter, season generously with salt and pepper and add the vinegar. Keep the sauce warm over low heat but do not boil.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Vinegar

Butter

Sauce

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Scrape the ginger mixture off the breasts.

Ingredients you will need

Ginger

Heat a medium skillet over high heat.

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Place the breasts, skin-side down, in the skillet and cook until the fat begins to render and the skin is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Pour off the fat. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, removing the fat as it renders, until the skin is tight and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, flip the breasts and cook until the meat is lightly browned but still medium-rare, 1 to 2 more minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Thinly slice the breasts and cut the legs in half. Divide the meat among plates and top with the sauce and figs.

Ingredients you will need

Sauce

Figs

Meat

Photograph by Marcus Nilsson