2020 Cook the Books – SAIT

School: Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)

Students: Melanie Craighead and Sashank Palla

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Recipe: Duo of Duck with Flavours from the Forest Pantry

A true Canadian farm to table inspired autumn dish, featuring duck two ways using foraged ingredients from Alberta, along with a bounty of rich and vibrant ingredients from across Canada.

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Duo of Duck with Flavours from the Forest Pantry

Course Main Course

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Melanie Craighead and Sashank Palla

Ingredients

Crispy Duck Croquette

• 2 Whole duck legs thighs & drumsticks (500 g or 1 lb)

For Cure:

• 4 tsp (20 g) Salt
• 4 tsp (20 g) Sugar
• 1 Garlic clove crushed
• 10 Juniper berries crushed
• 10 Black peppercorns crushed
• 2 Thyme sprigs
• 1 Bay leaf crushed

For Confit & Rillette:

• 2 cups (500 ml) Canola oil
• ¼ cup (60 ml) Canola oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Grainy mustard
• 4 tsp (16 g) Ermite blue cheese
• 4 Duck wingette bones

For Breading:

• 1 ½ cup (200 g) Bread crumbs
• 1 bunch Parsley
• 1 cup (120 g) All-purpose flour
• 2 Eggs beaten

Juniper Smoked Duck Breast

• 2 Duck breasts 180 g or 6 oz each
• 1 tsp (5 g) Salt
• 2 Dried juniper branches
• Red Fife Braised Sunchokes
• 1 cup (225 g) Sunchokes (8 pieces)
• 1 cup (250 ml) Fermented red fife liquid
• ½ cup (125 ml) Water
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Canola oil
• 1 Garlic clove minced

Fermented Red Fife Liquid

• 4 cups (500 g) Red fife berries
• 20 cups (5 L) Water
• ¾ cup (175 g) Salt
• ¾ cup (175 g) Brown sugar

Poached Celery Root

• 1 Celery root
• 4 cups (1 L) Water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) Apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp (30 g) Salt
• 5 Black peppercorns
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Thyme sprig

Quince Puree

• 2 Quince
• 3 cups (750 ml) Water
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) Salt
• 2 tsp (10 ml) Canola oil
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Honey

Sea Buckthorn Gel

• 1 ¾ cup (400 ml) Sea buckthorn juice
• 1 tsp (5 g) Agar agar powder
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Honey

Rainbow Swiss Chard

• ½ cup (150 g) Swiss chard stems, small diced
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Canola oil
• 1 tsp (5 g) Salt
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) Chanterelle mushroom powder
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) Tomato powder
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Cedar jelly
• 1 cup (50 g) Swiss chard leaves, chiffonade
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) Tomato powder
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Cedar jelly
• 1 cup (50 g) Swiss chard leaves, chiffonade

Instructions

Crispy Duck Croquette

• Blend curing ingredients and marinate duck legs for 12 hours.
• Rinse the duck legs and confit in 2 cups (500 ml) of canola oil for 3 hours on very low heat.
• Pulse bread crumbs with parsley leaves and dry it on the counter for 3 hours.
• Separate the meat from bones, fat and skin. Save four bones from the duck wings.
• Add ¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil to the meat and mix in a stand mixer with paddle for 2 minutes.
• Measure out 5 oz (150 g) of duck meat and add grainy mustard. Mix well.
• Prepare four croquettes with 1¾ tbsp (22 g) duck rillette, 1 tsp (4 g) cheese and a duck bone.
• Roll and flour the croquettes, dip in egg wash and cover them with parsley breadcrumbs.
• Cook in a convection oven at 190°C (375° F) for 3 minutes.

Juniper Smoked Duck Breast

• Cold smoke the duck breasts using dried juniper branches for 1 hour. Chill in the refrigerator.
• Score the duck breasts and place them skin side down in a cold cast iron pan and season.
• Turn the heat on high and reduce the heat to low once the pan reaches medium heat.
• Cook the duck breasts until fat has rendered and the skin is crispy, removing extra fat from the pan. This takes approximately 30 minutes.
• Turn breasts over to briefly sear the meat side, then place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
• Cut the duck breasts lengthwise, on a bias, into 2 equal sized portions.

Red Fife Braised Sunchokes

• Turn on the convection oven to 190°C (375° F).
• Wash and trim the sunchokes and place in a shallow 1/3 insert.
• Add red fife liquid, water, canola oil, and garlic to the insert.
• Cover insert with aluminum foil and cook for 40 minutes or until sunchokes are fully cooked.
• Remove from the oven and cut the larger sunchokes in half lengthwise.

Fermented Red Fife Liquid

• Soak berries for a day, lay out, cover with cloth and sprinkle water regularly for 3 – 5 days.
• Roast the sprouted grains at 255°C (490° F) for 3 – 5 minutes until the colour turns dark.
• Soak roasted grains with 20 cups (5 L) water and salt. Press, cover and ferment for 3 – 5 days.
• Bring the liquid to boil and add brown sugar, then strain the grains and reserve the liquid.

Poached Celery Root

• Peel and slice celery root into four ¼ inch thick pieces and then cut into 2” squares.
• Mix all ingredients except celery root in a medium pot and bring it to boil.
• Add celery root to the poaching liquid and simmer for 12 minutes.
• Take out the celery root, set aside and keep warm.

Quince Puree

• Peel, core, and thinly slice the quince.
• Cook it in water and salt for 25 minutes.
• Using a blender, puree the hot quince with honey and canola oil. Strain and set aside.

Sea Buckthorn Gel

• Boil juice in a small pot. Stir in agar agar slowly and bring the mix back to rolling boil.
• Pour the mix into a shallow pan to set in a refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Using a blender, puree the set juice with honey to gel consistency. Strain and set aside.

Rainbow Swiss Chard

• Blanch the swiss chard stems. Set aside.
• Toast the spices and salt with canola oil in a pot. Add cedar jelly to melt.
• Add the chard leaves and slightly wilt them, then add stems and stir to combine.
• Portion chard into 4 equal rounds.

Notes

hef’s Notes:
Fermented red fife liquid can be substituted with seasoned vegetable stock or water.
If quince is not available, you can substitute apples such as McIntosh or Cortland.

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