Duck Leg Demi-Confit, Wild Rice, Root Vegetables and Grand Marnier Demi-Glace (favorite)

Traditional French confit (kahn-FEE) of duck takes up to 8 weeks to make; its flavor is unparalleled.  This recipe uses similar techniques, approximating the flavor of traditional confit in just 24 hours (hence duck leg demi-confit).  Served with Grand Marnier demi-glace, root vegetables and wild rice..

The day before, rinse duck legs and pat dry.  Place on top of a 1/8 inch bed of kosher salt in a non-reactive dish.  Add a dozen bruised garlic cloves to the dish.  Season duck with ground bay leaf, thyme, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, corriander and cumin.  Cover duck completely with kosher salt, cover dish and refrigerate for 18-24 hours.

2 hours before dinner, remove the duck and garlic from the refrigerater and brush away all of the salt.

Brown the duck legs in rendered duck fat, remove to a side dish and pour off (and reserve) all but 2 tablespoons of fat.  Sauté celery, leeks, carrots, thyme and garlic in same pan until browned, about 10 minutes.

Return duck to pan and add enough homemade chicken stock to cover all but the tops of the duck.  The goal is to braise the duck until tender, but still have a crispy skin.  Season liberally with fresh cracked pepper and place in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven to 300 degrees and remove pan.  Add wild rice and more stock if neccessary.  Baste duck with reserved fat and return to oven for 1 hour.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the duck and vegetables to a side dish and keep warm.  Degalze pan with Grand Marnier, add chicken stock and reduce quickly.  Finish with demi-glace.

To serve, arrange duck on top of vegetable rice mixture, dress with demi-glace and garnish with slivered scallions and orange pieces.

Salmon Croûte, Brussels Sprouts in Cream and Wild Rice with Mushrooms and White Truffle Oil

Dried oyster, trumpet and morchella mushrooms, shallot, wild rice, (real) white truffle oil, Brussels sprouts, heavy cream, butter, whole nutmeg, black sea salt, white peppercorns, wild Alaskan salmon and a blend of dried onion, garlic, carrot, red pepper, tomato, orange peel, parsley, bay, thyme, basil, celery, lemon peel, oregano, savory, mustard seed, cumin, marjoram, coriander, cayenne and rosemary.

Rinse and begin cooking the wild rice according to package directions.

Moisten a salmon filet with olive oil and season with the spice blend, sea salt and white pepper. Place fish onto an oiled skillet, wrap in a sheet of water-soaked red cedar paper and tie with kitchen string.

About 20 minutes before the rice is done, brown the trimmed and split Brussels sprouts in a little butter until browned.  Add heavy cream and simmer partially covered until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

While the vegetables are simmering, saute minced shallot and sliced mushrooms in butter and truffle oil, stirring frequently until just done, about 3-5 minutes.  Set aside.

Place the salmon in a 350 degree oven and cook about 10-12 minutes.

Uncover the vegetables and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add the mushrooms and shallots to the rice and fluff with a fork.

Assemble the plate, topping the Brussels sprouts with seasoned, toasted bread crumbs.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Panko and Hemp Crusted Cod

Alaskan Cod with skin and bones removed, wild rice, exotic mushrooms, mustard seed, caraway seed, green beans and panko crumbs with black sesame seeds, hemp seeds, basil, chili powder, cilantro, and coriander.

Rinse rice and cook according to package instructions. About 15 minutes before the rice is ready, put the fish into a 400 degree oven, then sautee the mushrooms and add to the rice, cover and set aside.

Cook the beans in the same skillet, adding some butter and the just-ground mustard and caraway seeds. When slightly browned and tender, de-glaze the pan with a little lemon or orange juice.