I do have a grave confession, which I continuously struggle to express to my dear friends and family in Canada. The countless times how I wished I were back in Montreal sharing laughters that last through the night. The many, and many more times when I longed to reach out, and hug, and kiss, and narrate sincerely my deepest appreciation to have you as friends and family. For a lack of better words, as usual, I’d like to borrow a few words that might possibly be able to just perhaps summarize this confession. “Not that I didn’t care, it’s that I didn’t know. It’s not what I didn’t feel, it’s what I didn’t show.”

Craig and Megan, remember the time when we had buffalo duck wings that were so spicy that it hurt the next day‘? Jess and Jen, remember the time when I made that canard a la framboise in my tiny little kitchen/dining room/living room/bedroom? Last but certainly not least, Dylan, remember the time we cooked giant pieces of foie gras and then ate them with croutons fried up in that very fat? Memories shared with you guys continue to put a smile on my face despite the passing years. And I hope you find comfort in those as

I do.

Before I get strayed into other sentimental feelings, I would like to, if I may, dedicate this duck meal to you boys and girls. And for the many of you who are not mentioned here that happen to read my blog, I love you too.

Festivities and holiday seasons remind me of all the wonderful ingredients other than chicken, beef, or pork. They are all fantastic, dedicated players in the culinary world, don’t get me wrong, but they do deserve a break once in a while. Among many things, I must admit that I have a tender spot for something that quaks, has firm breasts, and a fatty behind – duck! (It’s “canard“ in French). Boasting with flavours, its meat is tender, juice, characteristic, and well suited for anything from a quick pan-sear to a slow roast.

Here is my version of Canard a la Figue.

Ingredients

• 2 Ducks, whole
• 2 Yellow Onions, washed, halved
• 1 Large handful of Carrot sticks, washed
• 1 Large handful of Celery sticks, washed
• 1 Whole bulb of Garlic, washed, halved in cross-section (to expose each clove)
• Couple of Bay Leaves
• 1 Small bunch of Thyme sprigs
• 1 Spoonful of whole Black Peppercorns
• Water
• 1 Handful of Shitake Mushrooms, stems removed, slice in half if large
• 1 Handful of Cherry Tomatoes, whole
• A few Bok Choy hearts, sliced longitudinally in quarters
• 2-3 Shallots, cleaned, finely diced
• 1-2 Cups palatable Red Wine
• 1-2 Cups Duck Stock (which we make from scratch)
• 1 Small handful of Dried Figs, finely chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp Fig Preserve (depending on sweetness, or substitute with Honey)
• Butter, unsalted
• Fresh seasonal Figs
• Baby Zucchini and Flowers, grilled
• Baby Carrots, blanched then grilled
• Duck Fat (which we render from scratch) oven-roasted Potatoes with Thyme, Bay Leaves, and Garlic
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method – for the duck

1. Wash the duck, pat dry.
2. Chop off the neck, peel away the skin from the neck, reserve both.
3. Chop off the tail/bum, reserve.
4. Slice along the midline as close to the breastbone as possible, carefully remove the breasts. Try to obtain as much meat in one piece as possible, by carefully cutting through the connective tissue as close to the breastbone and rib cage as possible, while slowly peeling away the breast meat. Make sure to locate the wing joint and cut through the cartilages (should be fairly easy as long as you don’t try to saw through the actual bone).
5. Now you should have a boneless piece of duck breast attached to a wing. Remove the wing, reserve. Trim off excess fat from the breast, reserve.
6. Repeat Steps 4-5 for the other breast.
7. Remove the legs and thighs. Once again, try to cut through the cartilages, not the bones.
8. Trim off excess fat from the thighs (should be plenty), reserve.
9. Debone the legs and thighs in one piece. This could be tricky. If you want, you could always get extra boneless duck breasts so to have enough meat for your guests, and save the legs and thighs bone-in, skin-on for Duck Confit (another day for now).

Method – for duck fat

1. Place the neck skin/fat, tail/bum, and any extra pieces of fat you’ve trimmed into a pot, together with a couple bay leaves.
2. On low heat, slowly render out the fat from the tissues. This should take a couple of hours.
3. Once the bits of duck tissue are brown and crispy-ish, let cool, and strain through a fine sieve. Reserve the clarified duck fat.

Method - for duck stock

1. Place the duck carcasses (2x), the necks (2x), and the wings (4x) into a large pot. (OPTIONAL: roast the above @ 400°F for 30 minutes first for an additional layer of flavour.)
2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns into the same pot.
3. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for at least 3 hours. Give her a whole afternoon or even overnight if you are really dedicated.
4. Make sure to periodically skim off any surface foam (coagulated blood) to ensure a clear, not cloudy, stock base.
5. Once time has done its job, strain through a fine sieve. Reserve the duck stock.

Method – Soupe du jour

1. In a pot, bring enough duck stock to a boil with the mushrooms. Reduce until desired richness.
2. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Just before serving, add the bok choy and cherry tomatoes and let cook for about a minute.
4. Remove from heat and serve.

Method – Canard a la Figue

1. Score the skin on the duck breasts and thighs.
2. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Over medium heat, place duck meat skin side down in a pan.
4. Sear until the skin is crispy and golden brown, the fat is mostly rendered, for about 8 -10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fat and the size of the breast.
5. Turn over the breasts and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes, again depending on the thickness and doneness desired. Medium is my favourite when it comes to duck.
6. Once desired doneness is achieved, place the meat under foil and allow rest.
7. Meanwhile, add the shallots to the same hot pan. Sautee until soft and translucent, for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure the heat is not too high, or you risk burning the wonderful brown stuck bits of flavour on the bottom of the pan!
8. Deglaze with red wine.
9. Add the dried figs.
10. Once the alcohol has been simmered off a bit, add the duck stock and continue simmering until thick. You know the sauce is at the right consistency when it just begins to coat the back of a spoon.
11. Add the fig preserve (or honey) to taste. Also season with salt & pepper at this stage if required.
12. Once the desired consistency and flavours have been adjusted, strain through a very fine sieve. Return the liquid to a new pan.
13. Bring the new pan to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add a dollop of unsalted butter to the fig sauce to obtain that lustful restaurant richness and shine.
14. Slice the breasts at an angle. Fan them out on a dinner plate. Drizzle with the homemade fig sauce.
15. Serve with duck fat roasted potatoes, grilled zucchini flowers, and baby carrots.
16. Garnish with a half or quarters of fresh seasonal figs. Voila!

To continue my laziness… more meat!

AUSTRALIA DAY

At my new backyard in Sydney!