How to confit a duck for cassoulet starting with a whole duck

 My sister and I love to eat cassoulet and decide to embark on a shared project. My job is to confit some poultry to eventually add to the beans and other goodies in the cassoulet.

I bought a frozen whole duck because I knew that I needed the additional fat to make the confit.

<insert frozen duck photo>

I watched this video to learn how to cut up the duck.

I wanted to confit two halves of the duck instead of only the legs. She demonstrates how to prepare the duck in this way at 4:40 in the video.

Then, I made a salt mixture to cure the duck.

I combined kosher salt, juniper berries, peppercorns, and crushed bay leaves to make a dry salt brine. I used about 1/4 c salt, 1 T each of juniper berries and peppercorns, and around 4 crushed bay leaves. You could add thyme or another aromatic if you want.

I salted both sides of the duck and chicken legs well and covered with plastic wrap to cure for 24 hours.

While the duck cures, render the extra fat (the video shows you how to cut off the fat to render) so you have it to cover the duck while it is cooking later. I combined all the extra fat with 1/4 c of water and put it on low on the stovetop to render. It takes about an hour to fully render. The skin will shrivel into delicious crackling.

Then you need to strain the solids from the fat into a glass jar or some other vessel that can be heated and put it in the fridge for the next day. I bought an extra jar of duck fat to have enough to cover the meat.

After 24 hours, I rinsed the salt off the poultry with water and used a brush to get most of the big pieces of the rub. Then, pat dry the poultry with a paper towel.

I used the tip of a knife to poke the skin in a few places so the fat can render out. Take care to only poke the fat and not the meat. I warmed the duck fat slightly to liquify it and put a little in the bottom of my Dutch oven.  Then, I nestled the duck half pieces in the bottom of the Dutch oven, skin side down. I put a few chicken legs on top also nestled in the fat. Then, I poured the rest of the fat that I rendered and the extra that I purchased over the top. I wanted to make sure all of the duck was covered and most of the chicken was covered.

I put the lid on my pan and put the poultry in a 225 degrees Fahrenheit oven to cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I checked every hour to make certain that it remained submerged and at the two hour mark I turned the pieces over.

It smells so good.

At the four hour mark, I took the pot out of the oven and let the duck and chicken legs come to room temperature in the fat.

remove poultry and cover and store in fat to preserve 

or if using the meat right away strain fat to keep and reuse up to two more times to make confit

A really good dip for crackers and veggies

 8 oz cream cheese

18 oz of small curd cottage cheese

1 c sour cream

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 pkg of Lipton Onion Soup mix

1 T dry chopped onion flakes

2 t garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer if you have one. It's better if it rest a day in the fridge.

Serve with crackers and veggies.

Tasty Crispy Oven Fried Oysters for Christmas

Our family always has oyster stew on Christmas Eve (and chili and maybe one other soup). I wanted to do something different this year with oysters and I tried this recipe.

It is seriously delicious!

 https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/crispy-oven-fried-oysters/

My Favorite Brussels Sprouts

I have loved most of Slate's You're Doing It Wrong series of recipes and this brussels sprouts recipe is no exception.

 https://slate.com/culture/2012/03/roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe-with-soy-sauce-and-mustard-soft-crisp-perfect.html

Family Favorite Veggie and Bean Soup from Lynne Ireland

 

Instant Pot 'Weight Loss' Vegetable Soup

1 tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves minced

1 medium yellow onion chopped

5 white mushrooms washed, sliced

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 carrots peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

1.5 cups chopped zucchini

3 cups chopped cabbage

1 15 oz. can red kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Chop onion, carrots and celery, Mince garlic. Slice mushrooms. Set aside.

Press "saute" button on your Instant Pot. Add olive oil to the stainless steel insert. Wait 2 minutes for it to preheat.

Add garlic and onion to Instant Pot. Saute, stirring often, until the onion softens. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes, until they are fragrant.

Press "off/stop" button.

Add remaining ingredients to Instant Pot.

Place lid on the pressure cooker and make sure the valve is set to "sealing".

Press "soup" setting and timer to 12 minutes.

The pressure cooker will beep and start cooking. It may take about 12 minutes for it to come to pressure and then start the timer.

When done, the Instant Pot will beep. Let the pressure release naturally for about 5 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure by carefully switching the valve to "venting."

Carefully remove the lid, away from your face, and set aside.

Stir the soup. Let cool slightly before serving.

Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Green Curry with Fresh Bamboo, Tiny Eggplant, and Mushrooms

2 c tender bamboo shoots, sliced in 1-2" pieces

2 c Thai green eggplant, cut in halves or quarters

2 c tiny purple eggplant, cut in halves or quarters

2 c fresh shiitake mushrooms, quartered

1 pkg of extra firm tofu, air fried (optional)

1/4 c or more to taste green curry paste (purchase or use recipe below)

3 cans coconut milk

¼ c fish sauce

3 T sugar (or palm sugar)

3 T boullion

6 kaffir lime leaves

2-3 stalks of lemon grass, sliced

water to cover, 2 cups or so

¼ c holy basil and Thai basil leaves

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1. Wash and slice the veggies so they are ready to go.

2. Sauté the mushrooms in 1 tsp of oil until liquid is released, just a few minutes and remove from heat. 

3. Heat several tablespoons of the thick part of the coconut milk in a large pot. Add curry paste and saute until fragrant. Add the remaining coconut milk, sugar, bouillon, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and bring to a simmer.

4. Add bamboo shoots, both types of eggplant, air fried tofu, and sautéed mushrooms to the broth. Add enough water to cover, about two cups. Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes, or until eggplant are still firm but tender.

5. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil and cilantro.

6. Serve with rice

Green Curry Paste (you can make this or buy in a tub)

8 garlic cloves, chopped

4 shallots, sliced

½ c (or more) chopped jalapeno peppers

½ c chopped green Thai chili peppers

3 stalks lemongrass, tender parts chopped

1 T galangal (around 1 ¼ “ piece) peeled and chopped

1 t cumin seeds

1 T coriander seeds

10 black peppercorns

½ chopped cilantro leaves and stems, chopped

1 t shrimp paste

1 t vegetable oil

Grind in a grinder or mortar and pestle until combined. Roasting the peppercorns and seeds gives a nice flavor but it's not always necessary if you don’t want to take the time.

Vietnamese Yellow Curry

 Vietnamese Chicken Curry

3-5 lb chicken thighs or turkey parts with bone in (can sub other meat or tofu here, I've used boneless, skinless chicken breast, too)

¼ c chopped garlic

⅓ c chopped lemongrass

½ c sugar

4 T chicken bouillon

¼ c MSG (optional)

½ c Vietnamese curry powder

Combine the ingredients with the meat and set aside for at least 4 hours to overnight.

Olive oil, enough to cover bottom of deep pan with ¼”

2 ½ T chopped garlic

2 cans Coco Rico

3 cans coconut cream

2 T Vietnamese curry powder

10 whole keffir lime leaves

10-15 dried chilies

water to cover, about 4 cups

4 pieces of fresh lemongrass pounded and tied in a bundle

2-3 lg carrots, cut in 2” pieces

1 peeled taro root, cut in 2” pieces

1 peeled sweet potato, cut in 2” pieces

Lightly fry the carrot, taro, and sweet potato in a small amount of oil, if a firmer texture is desired until you are just able to pierce with a fork and set aside on paper towels to drain. 

Coat a deep fry pan with about ¼ “ of olive oil and heat. Add meat with plenty of space between pieces and sear all sides. You may need to do multiple batches.

Put a large stockpot on low heat and add oil, garlic, and curry powder Take care to not let it burn. Add chicken and two cans of Coco Rico, dried chilies, lemongrass bundle and whole kefir lime leaves. Add enough water to cover meat and veggies, around 4 cups in my pot. Simmer until the meat is cooked through about 15-20 minutes. 

Add coconut cream, taro root, sweet potato, and carrot and simmer a few more minutes. Adjust seasoning with bouillon and sugar. Remove from heat.

Stir in:

2 white onions, cut into wedges and separated

Serve with:

6 kefir lime leaves, shredded on top

with French baguette, noodles, or rice to soak up that delicious broth

Lightly frying taro root and other root veg in batches

Marinated chicken after several hours



Sautéed chicken before adding CoCo Rico to loosen up the fond

Sheila's Mushroom Stew (inspired by Beoseot Jeongol)

Choose a variety of Asian mushrooms to make this dish adding up to the equivalent of about 45 oz of mushrooms or more. You want to have a balance of 50% or more meatier mushrooms (king oyster and shitake) and 50% or fewer lighter mushrooms (oyster, shimeji, and enoki). You can find these mushrooms at an Asian grocery store. You will find that they are much cheaper there too! This version is vegetarian but you could add thinly sliced beef if you want.

Ingredients:

3  king oyster mushrooms, sliced into medallions

1/2 pkg fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pkg fresh oyster mushrooms, chopped

1/2 pkg of shimeji mushrooms (brown beech/brown clamshell)

1 pkg of enoki mushrooms

2 TB olive oil

salt and pepper

1 red onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 TB mirin

1/8 c soy sauce or tamari

1 block of tofu, cubed

2 c water/broth

1 small zucchini, cut in half then sliced in half moons

5-6 baby bok choy, cleaned and drained

2 c bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

1 TB mushroom powder (or chicken bouillon)

1 tsp smoked red pepper or smoked paprika

3 green onions, chopped

2 tsp sesame oil

1. Heat a braiser or large deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add 2 TB of olive oil to heat. Add red onion, king oyster medallions and shiitakes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes letting the mushrooms release their liquid; then, add minced garlic. Continue to cook a few more minutes until a fond of nice brown bits develops on the bottom of the pan.  

2. Add mirin and tamari and scrape up the fond with a spatula. Add water or broth and tofu and turn up the heat to medium high to allow liquid to come to a boil. Add oyster and shimeji mushrooms to the liquid as it is coming to a boil. Add mushroom powder and smoked pepper. Turn down to simmer for about 5 minutes. 

3. Nestle the baby bok choy in the liquid and let cook for a couple minutes. Add zucchini, bean sprouts, and enoki mushrooms and cover for 3-4 minutes. 

4. Remove from heat and add green onion and sesame oil. 

Serve with steamed brown rice. I like to add some chili crunch oil to the top! 

Mapa Dubu

Mapa Dubu (Korean-style Mapo Tofu)

1 pkg firm tofu

Oil, enough to coat bottom of pan by ¼ inch

1 lb ground pork or meatless pork sausage patties

1 bunch green onion 

6-8 cloves of garlic

2 Tb Dubangjang (chili bean paste)

1 Tb Soy sauce

1 Tb Mirin or other alcohol

1 ts Salt

1 Tb sugar

1 c water

Black pepper, to taste

Cornstarch slurry (1 T cornstarch with 3 T water, mixed)

1 T Sesame oil

1. Press liquid from tofu and cube
2. Fry tofu in hot oil until all sides are golden
3. Remove all but 1 T of oil and cook ground pork or meatless sausage patties breaking them up as they cook. 
4. Add white part of green onion, garlic and dubangjang to pork
5. Add soy sauce, alcohol and pepper
6. Add water and tofu and bring to a boil, turn down to simmer until water is almost gone
7. Add cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened
8. Stir in tops of green onion and sesame oil
   
   Serve with rice.
   
   
   
   
   

Red Pozole

Red Pozole

6 pounds pork shoulder or butt (bone-in is more flavorful)

1 lg white onion

½ c peeled, crushed garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1 T Black pepper

1 T Cumin

Cover the above with water (around 12 cups) and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 1 hour or until the pork can be pulled apart with two forks. Skim impurities throughout. 

Remove pork from liquid and let cool. Strain the broth into another container. You can chill to remove excess fat if you would like. Reserve the bone to put back in the broth.

Shred pork into 1 inch pieces.

Next ingredients:

9 guajillo chilies

5 chili de arbol

1 quart of boiling water

5 cloves of garlic
1 white onion

Remove stems and seeds from chilies and toast in a hot pan for a few minutes. Add to boiling water and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes.

Process chilies and soaking liquid in blender or food processor with 5 cloves of garlic and 1 white onion.

Pass the results through a fine mesh sieve and add the liquid to pork broth. Discard the solids.

Add 1 giant can of hominy to pork and chili broth

Add shredded pork and bone back into the pot

Add 4 Tb mexican oregano

1 Tb ground cumin

2 bay leaves

1 T salt or bouillon (or more to taste) 

Simmer for 30 minutes or longer while preparing the garnishes.

Garnishes (can prep while pozole is cooking):

• Half a small cabbage, thinly sliced
• One bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 white onion or green onion, chopped
• 2 avocados, chopped
• 4 limes, quartered
• A bunch of red radishes, sliced thin
• Cotija cheese, crumbled
• A couple dozen tostada shells
• Mexican crema, optional

Ladle soup into large bowls and let people garnish as they like. It makes a lot so it is good for a crowd, but you can also freeze the soup.

Preserved Lemons and Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons

I used Simply Recipes version to make preserved lemons. They keep well in the fridge and can be used in tagines, stews, pilafs, pasta, and even in salads where you want to add a little brightness to a dish. You can use it anywhere you would use lemon peel or juice, really. Then, you can eliminate some food waste. I can barely get through a bag of lemons before they have gone off.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_preserved_lemons/


This is the recipe that I used in making my chicken tagine.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6555-chicken-tagine-with-olives-and-preserved-lemons

Chicken Lentil Soup with Jammy Onions

I found this recipe on Bon Appetit at the beginning of 2020 and I can't stop making it. I double or triple the jammy onions. When you cook with bone in chicken and water, you make chicken broth. If you decide to use boneless, skinless chicken, you may want to add some bouillon to enhance the flavor.




htpps://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-lentil-soup-with-jammy-onions?fbclid=IwAR0mlM3-iolodUshahaKGSrA80i3qJR4kCa6KFKspR4uP4Kxrt4epCDKwEottp

White Sheet Cake

This is the cake that we always ask Paul to make for our birthdays. It is so simple and so delicious. The key is to put the frosting on while the cake is warm so it soaks in really nice!

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter

1 cup water

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

  

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup butter or margarine and water to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond extract, salt, and baking soda until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 x 1 inch baking pan.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 to 22 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and tests done. 

Frosting

1 package of cream cheese, 1 box of powdered sugar, 1 tbsp. butter and 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Brown butter and combine with other ingredients.  Spread over warm cake.

This Eggplant Parm is truly the best!

The best recipe that is not a recipe!

From: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/eggplant-parm-groat

You know those recipes we hold near and dear to our hearts because they are really the greatest ever of all time? Well, we’re using this series as an opportunity to wax poetic about them. The eggplant parm of test kitchen manager Brad Leone's mom, to be exact (he's been talking about it for months). They truly are the greatest recipe of all time (aka GROAT). Here’s why.

Mom’s eggplant parm is one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. It all starts with a homemade sauce; this step cannot be skipped. For Mich (that's my mom) it's olive oil, onion, garlic, and whole peeled tomatoes, likely a little basil, and maybe some dried oregano. Cook, cook, cook until the onions fall apart. Not too much onion, you're not making stew.

Next, she uses thick, peeled circles of eggplant, like ½–¾ inch thick. Spread the slices out in a single layer and sprinkle them with salt. This helps draw the water out of the eggplant and helps maintain a meaty consistency during and after frying. I like to be able to taste the eggplant and not just thin layers of breaded mystery.

From there, it's all about frying in olive oil in a cast iron pan that’s bigger than most dinner plates. The old egg-wash-and-breadcrumb combo (mom likes the fine stuff in the cardboard can) does the trick. I like a little black pepper in the egg but not sure how mom feels about that. After frying, drain the eggplant on paper towels to help absorb some of the extra oil that it soaked up. This is super important: eggplant can act like a sponge and soak up whatever you put it in, especially oil.

Now, I prefer the Parm layered in a rectangular baking dish, like a 9 x 13. Put a little sauce on the bottom first, then a layer of eggplant, then freshly grated mozzarella cheese and a little grated Parm. Season with salt and pepper then add another layer of sauce. Repeat until you're out of space or eggplant. It’s a nice idea to use block mozzarella grated in between the layers and then use fresh mozzarella on top for melting and browning. Then bake at 375˚ for about 45 minutes—you may need to broil the top for a minute or two to get the cheese bubbly and golden.

The big secret about this dish is to wait before serving, when it's barely warm or even at room temp. The family’s favorite way to eat eggplant Parm, though, is to eat it ice cold right from the fridge. Wanna top that? Place the cold eggplant parm on some warm crusty bread, sandwich style or open-faced. Cold eggplant Parm is certainly on the top five most satisfying and comforting foods known to man, it’s a fact**.

**As a Test Kitchen, we ate three trays of eggplant parm in less than 36 hours. It. Is. That. Good. So do like Brad says and "Make this dish times two."