I could be talking about life, but I am actually talking about my
recent Sunday brunch.
I received two bottles of Les Falaises de Braise Tavel from the
head of the Tavel syndicate in Provence to taste for my
Provence WineZine
post this weekend (click the link for my review). I wanted to make something special to pair with this wine
and, after some research, discovered that the wine pairs well with duck confit.
Naturally, I had duck confit from
Top Knot Farms in the freezer
(doesn’t everyone?), but the next step was figuring out what to do with it.
This is where it got complicated. I could simply have put the
duck on toasts and sipped away, but you know me better than that.
What ended up happening in the kitchen, other than a phenomenal
mess, was Sunday brunch… each component making the dish just a little more
insanely complex.
I started with the notion of a duck hash cake. That sounds
humble, folksy, pretty straightforward, right? Then I decided to top it with a
quail egg. Quail eggs aren’t all that easy to come by, I discovered.
 |
| “Baby”the silkie rooster – one of Avery’s chickens (photo by Nancy) |
So I contacted my friend Avery and her grandmother Nancy who
raise chickens, including the oh-so-adorable silkie breed. Silkie eggs are
about half the size of a regular chicken egg and would be perfect for my needs. I asked Avery if she might get “Violet Belle,” “Heart,” or “Winter” to share some of their eggs with me. Happily, they provided me with seven “lucky” eggs to use. And they were, indeed, lucky because everything worked
out in the end.
Oh, and then there were the pearls. Sour cherry pearls. Because
the duck cake wanted something bright and sweet-tart to counteract its dark,
rich flavor. This means I had to learn to make pearls, which I first
encountered at a food festival recently here at the
Tucson Botanical Gardens.
And that made things really complicated because I was halfway
through making the duck hash when I remembered that I should have made the
pearls first!
After that, things got easier, as it involved only frying the
eggs, adding a few snipped chives from the garden, a drizzle of Les Pastras
truffle oil and a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel de Camargue au Piment d’Esplette.
The latter two items were much-appreciated gifts from the Provence WineZine’s
own Susan and Towny from their recent travels.
As if this weren’t enough, all the while I am photographing this creation amidst
the mess (crime scene). I admit to forgetting to shoot the duck confit leg…
but you get the idea. As an aside, wasn’t I lucky just to have received that gorgeous linen
chicken towel from my friends Jennifer and Patrick?
In the end, it was one of the best things I have ever created,
bar none. If I were to make it again, it would seem much less complicated
because I would know what I am doing to start… and I would have a recipe.
If you are feeling brave, give this a try. I cooked the cake and
egg using rings, but you don’t have to – free-form patties and fried eggs would
be perfect. If you aren’t up to making the pearls, use a few fresh pitted and
chopped cherries. Any truffle or fine olive oil would work for the drizzle, and
plain old salt and freshly ground pepper would work just fine.
So, I guess it doesn’t have to be all that complicated after all.
~ David
David’s Duck Confit Hash and Eggs
The Sour Cherry Pearls
1 cup sour cherry juice, reduced from 1 1/2 cups
2 grams agar powder
about 2 cups salad oil
The Duck Hash Cakes
1 confit duck leg, about 6-7 ounces
1 tablespoon duck fat (from the confit)
3 tablespoons diced celery
3 tablespoons diced carrot
3 tablespoons diced shallot
3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
The Silkie Eggs
2 silkie eggs
2 teaspoons butter
freshly shipped chives
black truffle oil
sel de mar de Camargue au piment d’Espelette
To make the pearls, start by putting the oil in a tall glass leaving about an inch at the top, and then put the glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. During this time you can get started on the duck cakes by dicing the celery, carrots, and shallot, as well as removing the skin from the duck confit and chopping it coarsely. Set these ingredients aside.
When the 30 minutes of freezing time is almost up, place the concentrated cherry juice in a sauce pan and whisk in the 2 grams of agar powder. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Once it boils, remove it from the heat and let it cool to 130°F. I use an instant read thermometer. Note: the mixture will be very thin. Using a funnel, transfer the liquid to a squeeze bottle. Remove the oil from the freezer. Gently squeeze out drops into the oil. As they sink to the bottom, they will solidify and turn
into “pearls.” When you have made all your pearls, pour the oil through a sieve to recover the pearls, and rinse the pearls thoroughly with cold water. Note: I saved the oil in the refrigerator for future pearls.
Make the hash. Heat a tablespoon of the duck fat from the confit in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced celery, carrot, and shallot and cook until the vegetables begin to color. Then add the chopped duck and sauté for a minute or two. Add the breadcrumbs and cream and cook a few moments pulling it all together. Transfer the mixture to a plate and divide evenly in two. Place the frying pan back on the heat.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Butter two 2.75- or 3-inch rings. Place the rings in the frying pan and fill each with the hash mixture, pressing it down to form a cake. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown then, using a spatula, flip the cake and the ring, pressing the cakes back down inside the ring to make contact with the pan. When then are golden on the bottom, transfer the cakes with their rings to serving plates, carefully remove rings, and place plates in the oven to keep them warm.
Wipe out the frying pan (no need to clean it) and place it back on the heat. Add the butter and swirl around. Place two 2.5-inch rings in the pan and break the eggs into the rings. Let them cook until the whites are firm, keeping an eye on them to break any bubbles that form. Remove the cakes from
the oven, then carefully remove the rings and transfer the eggs to the top of the cakes. Surround the cakes with pears, drizzle the truffle oil onto the egg and around the cake, then sprinkle with chives and the salt. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Unknown
March 4, 2017 at 4:53 pmwow, David, this recipe is really amazing. I was convinced that making pearls was a very difficult matter, but you make it sounds easy! I have to try… Duck, eggs and truffle flavour…. the perfectio. Great recipe. Ciao, Anna
Cocoa & Lavender
March 4, 2017 at 10:18 pmThanks, Anna! Making pearls (my first attempt) was very easy – the hardest part was making them all the same size! You definitely need to try it!
Sippity Sup
March 4, 2017 at 8:09 pmThis is Five-Star dining! GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
March 4, 2017 at 10:19 pmThanks, Greg! Not sure my kitchen can survive much more of this!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
March 4, 2017 at 8:25 pmDear David, you never cease to amaze me with your oustanding culinary creations – this recipe of yours certainly has got a wow factor!
Liebe Grüße an euch beide!
Andrea & Co.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 4, 2017 at 10:19 pmThanks, Andrea – it was really fun to come up with this! Hope you are all well! David
Karen (Back Road Journal)
March 4, 2017 at 9:23 pmFantastic job! I'm brave but acquiring all those beautiful ingredients are almost impossible. I'd have a better chance by making a plane reservation and having you prepare it for me. 😀
Cocoa & Lavender
March 4, 2017 at 10:20 pmThanks, Karen – yes, there are a lot of unusual ingredients. I wonderful how confit of chicken thighs would taste?
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
March 4, 2017 at 10:19 pmOh my! Just stunning.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 4, 2017 at 10:21 pmThanks, Liz! Much appreciated!
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 at 3:33 pmWhenever I look at your work I keep a spare pair of socks close by in case you knock off the set I'm wearing. This week you really did!
Bon Appetit! Bruce Baer
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2017 at 2:40 amThanks, Bruce! One of the best comments I have ever received!
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 at 4:20 pmI'm speechless! Guess my next chick order should include some Silkies. We get "fresh" chicks every spring and they start giving us eggs in about 5 months.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2017 at 2:41 amYou would love Silkies, Caterina – they are the cutest things ever, and the yolks are the richest and most flavorful I have ever had!
Cheri Savory Spoon
March 6, 2017 at 12:32 amI admire the way you persevere David. This is such a beautifully composed meal and all based on finding the perfect meal to compliment a wonderful wine. Enjoyed reading your review as well. Take care.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2017 at 2:42 amThanks, Cheri – I think if I had been a bit more organized, this might have gone a little smoother. However, neither of us complained about the mess once we ate it!
Ngeun
March 6, 2017 at 7:36 amHi David, it looks so delicious and pretty – like a work of art, certainly well worth the complications. A beautiful post and recipe. I agree – gorgeous linen chicken towel.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2017 at 12:02 pmThanks, Ngeun it was worth the complications and will be much easier next time.
All That I'm Eating
March 6, 2017 at 11:11 amThis is such a pretty plate of food, how delicious! Well worth the effort I'd say!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2017 at 12:03 pmIndeed,Caroline – I might actually make it again this week just to see how it goes now that I know what I am doing!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
March 6, 2017 at 3:24 pmWow. Speechless.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 7, 2017 at 2:08 pmThanks, Inger!
Frank
March 7, 2017 at 11:54 amA true work of art, David. Bravo!
I have to say, those pearls sound really tricky. I admire your dedication. Don't think I'd have the patience…
Cocoa & Lavender
March 7, 2017 at 2:09 pmFrank – it's funny, but the pearls were probably the least troublesome part of this dish! I now have WAY too many ideas for future pearls!
John | heneedsfood
March 7, 2017 at 12:38 pmAbsolutely stunning, David, and I can tell how delicious it was. Such artistry!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 7, 2017 at 2:10 pmIt's funny that I made such a fuss of this, John – it's just hash and eggs, really. But it was fun to fancy it up!
Marcelle
March 8, 2017 at 6:28 amThis dish is so gorgeous, David!! Taking photos while making an involved recipe is always an adventure isn't it?? As always your pictures are perfect! 😉 We are searching for a new home with a much bigger yard and raising chickens in the future is being dicussed around here. now I definitely want Silkie chickens! 🙂 So cute
Cocoa & Lavender
March 9, 2017 at 2:31 pmI don't think people realize how much work the photography is, Marcelle! And I am crazy enough to try and do it while actually serving the meal! I have even done it while guests were at the table waiting… 🙂 Good luck on the house search – I can only imagine having chickens would be great fun!
Velva
March 9, 2017 at 3:03 pmThis is the beauty of having a passion for cooking. Creating layers of complexities, creates layers of flavors. Love it.
Velva-Tomatoes on the Vine
Cocoa & Lavender
March 10, 2017 at 2:17 amThanks, Velva – it was really fun!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
March 9, 2017 at 3:40 pmWhat a beautiful presentation, David! Unfortunately for me, I had ducks as pets when I was growing up, and cannot bring myself to eat them. Same goes for rabbits. Funnythat we raised chickens, too, but I don't have an issue with them–the rooster used to attack me! Have a good day!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 10, 2017 at 2:18 amI am lucky, Christina – the only attachments I have to food is their flavor!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
March 10, 2017 at 1:48 amBeautiful, David! I would not have thought of the duck confit for the Tavel, but now that you've mentioned it, yes! Lovely!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 10, 2017 at 2:19 amIt was a nice surprise, Jean – we loved it!
Susan Manfull
March 10, 2017 at 5:11 amMasterful. I confess I am intimidated by this recipe but I want to give it a try. This is a gorgeous post and a brilliant match for the Tavel. I, too, have a bottle…maybe I will get Towny to make the duck confit hash cakes. (Don't tell him my plan!)
Cocoa & Lavender
March 10, 2017 at 12:06 pmI don't think Towny will mind making these cakes – or even the pearls! All you need to do is find the agar powder!
Gerlinde de Broekert
March 16, 2017 at 2:20 pmHow could I have missed this. I love duck confit , what a marvelous brunch. Invite me please the next time you make this.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 20, 2017 at 2:51 pmThanks, Gerlinde – I will definitely give you a heads up next time this is on the menu!