Faisan Archiduc
Pheasant Stuffed With Truffle And Foie Gras
This is real cuisine bourgeoise - rich, opulent and satisfying. The cooking method ensures a moist and flavoursome bird and this recipe will also work well with guinea fowl.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1½ tbsp unsalted butter
½ onion, peeled & chopped
40g long-grain rice
80ml chicken stock
100g cooked foie gras diced (optional)
60g shelled pistachios
2 tbsp game jus
60g cooked truffles diced
1 hen pheasant
thin slice of pork back fat
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp Malmsey Madeira wine
200ml double cream
salt
black pepper
First prepare the rice pilaf for the stuffing. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC/Gas 6. Place an ovenproof pan on the hob, melt ½ tablespoon of the butter and sweat the onion until softened. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains in butter, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside for 20 minutes.
When the rice is cool, gently mix in the foie gras, then add the pistachios, game jus and diced truffles. Season well.
Remove the wishbone from the pheasant and stuff the bird with the rice mixture, which should fill the cavity. Truss the bird to seal the neck and rear. Cover the bird with the slices of back fat and tie them securely in place.
Heat the oil and remaining butter in a casserole dish and, when hot and foaming, add the bird and colour it on all sides. Place the dish in the oven with the bird breast-side up. After 10 mins, add a spoonful of Madeira and put the lid on the casserole. Repeat this until the bird has been cooking for 40 mins, then take the dish out of the oven, remove the fat and set the bird aside to rest.
Add the cream to the casserole dish and any juices that have run from the bird, then season. Put the dish on the hob, bring the liquid to the boil and reduce to a sauce consistency, then pass through a fine sieve. Spoon out the stuffing and carve the bird. Serve with the sauce, stuffing and some seasonal vegetables, such as braised cabbage.
Charlotte au confit de canard
Bread Charlotte with confit duck
This is a Roux Christmas favourite and never fails to please. Jars of duck confit with hearts and gizzards are now fairly easy to find, but if you're squeamish you can leave out the offal and add extra duck legs instead. You can make this in individual molds or in one large tin.
Serves 6 as a main course.
Ingredients
1 large loaf of good quality bread
duck fat from the confit
4 shallots, peeled and chopped
200ml port
750ml veal stock
300g mixed wild mushrooms, wiped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
6 confit duck legs
6 confit gizzards
6 confit hearts (optional)
black pepper
Cut the bread into medium slices and remove the crusts, then cut the slices in half again. Moisten the bread with some of the duck fat from the drained confit - melt the fat and brush it on, or dip the bread into it. Line the moulds with bread, making sure the slices overlap o there are no gaps and that they are well pressed into the moulds.
Sweat the shallots in a pan with a little duck fat and cook until soft. Add the port and reduce by half, then add the stock and reduce again until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Leave the sauce to cool.
Trim the mushrooms and sear them in a frying pan with a knob of duck fat. Add the chopped garlic and parsley, cook for a few minutes longer, then tip the contents of the pan into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Remove the skin from the duck legs and flake the meat. Slice the gizzards and hearts. Add all the meat to the mushrooms with just enough of the sticky port sauce to bind. Season with a generous amount of pepper. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°/Gas 6.
Divide the mixture between the bread-lined moulds and cover the tops with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before turning the charlottes out of the moulds, then serve with the remaining port sauce, warmed through, and some extra wild mushrooms if you like - cook these in a little duck fat.
If you prefer to make one large charlotte, use a round cake tin, measuring about 20 cm in diameter by 10cm deep, with a removable base. Cook the charlotte for 35 - 40 minutes and leave to rest as above.
Confit Duck with sauté potatoes
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 Canard Gras
1 kg good-quality coarse sea salt
1 sprig sage
1 sprig thyme
Sauté potatoes
1 kg potatoes (Amandine,Belle de Fontenay or similar), boiled in their skins and cooled
1 kg duck or goose fat
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Canard Gras is a duck that has been reared for foie gras. It wilI weigh about 6kg and seem expensive but inside it has a whole foie gras. If you cannot find one of these ducks then I suggest eight large duck legs or two normal ducks.
If using the Canard Gras remove the legs and breasts, trimming off any excess fat. Chop off the head and discard remove the skin from the neck and add to the fat, and put the neck with the meat. Take out the foie gras, wrap in cling film and refrigerate to use for another recipe. Add the heart and gizzard, cut in half & wash it.
Trim all the skin and fat off the carcass. Put all the fat in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer to render. This usually takes about 1 hour - the water should be evaporated and the fat should be clear. Pour the fat through a fine conical sieve without pressing. Liberally sprinkle the meat with the sea salt and chill for 5 minutes. Wipe off all the salt and moisture with a cloth and put the meat into the warm fat with the sage and thyme. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover with a greaseproof paper and cook for about 2 hours until tender. Cool in the fat, then chill. It will keep for several weeks.
For the duck confit reheat the oven to 180'C/Gas4. Plate the meat in a non-stick pan and cook over a medium heat until golden. Put into the hot oven for 10-15.
Sauté Potatoes
Peel the potatoes when cool. Cut into 5mm slices and pan-fry in the duck fat, season and sprinkle with garlic and parsley.
