-
1
Trim the excess skin and all the visible fat from the duck legs; cut the skin and fat into 1-inch pieces.
-
2
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the salt on all sides of the legs.
-
3
Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the pan, and set over medium heat.
-
4
Arrange the legs in the pan, skin side down, and scatter all the skin and fat pieces in the spaces between them.
-
5
As the fat starts to sizzle, lower the heat slightly and partially cover the skillet, leaving a gap of an inch or so for moisture to evaporate.
-
6
Let the fat sizzle away, as you occasionally nudge and shift the leg pieces so they dont stick to the bottom.
-
7
After 15 to 20 minutes, turn the legs overthe skin should be gold and lightly crisped already.
-
8
Cook the legs on the flesh side for about 15 minutes, shifting them a bit, then turn them skin side down again and continue cooking for another 20 minutescook an hour altogetheruntil they are thoroughly crisp and deeply colored.
-
9
Lift the leg pieces from the pan, letting fat drip off, and put them in a bowl.
-
10
Carefully pour out the fat into a heat-proof container, but leave the crusty bits on the bottom and sides of the skillet.
-
11
See box on uses for duck fat, which follows.
-
12
Return the skillet to the stove; pour in 3 more tablespoons of olive oil, and set over medium heat.
-
13
Stir in the garlic slices, and cook for a minute or two, until they start to sizzle.
-
14
Drop the chopped anchovies in a hot spot; cook, stirring, for a minute or morethe anchovies will melt away in the oil.
-
15
Now drop in the olives and stir them around, scraping up some of the browned bits in the pan as you do, for a minute or more, until theyre starting to cook.
-
16
Put the duck legs back into the pan, toss in the branches of rosemary, and get the duck cooking again, turning the legs over in the oil and seasonings for a minute or two.
-
17
When everything is hot, pour the red wine vinegar in several clear spaces around the pan; toss and stir everything as the vinegar steams and the acidity cooks off.
-
18
After a minute, sprinkle on another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pour in the wine, also on hot spots, and stir for a minute, then cover the pan completely.
-
19
Cook covered for 4 or 5 minutes over low to medium heat, then uncover and turn everything well, coating the duck with the liquid and using it to deglaze the browned bits in the pan.
-
20
Taste the sauce and add salt if necessary; drizzle over a tablespoon or two of olive oil if the sauce needs more viscosity.
-
21
Cover the pan, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.
-
22
Uncover, and give everything a final stir so the duck is well coated with thick sauce and bits of olives.
-
23
If theres loose, wet sauce in the pan, cook and stir until it is thickened.
-
24
But if the duck is dry and there are stuck brown bits on the pan, pour in a bit of broth to loosen things up and get the duck moist and glistening with the sauce.
-
25
Remove from the heat and serve.
-
26
Let the duck rest in the pan, partially covered, if you want; refresh and reheat it with a bit of broth before serving.
-
27
To make this wonderful dish with a whole duck rather than duck legs, heres a simple way to cut it up.
-
28
I suggest you have a heavy chefs knife, kitchen shears, and a small cleaver.
-
29
Rinse and dry the duck.
-
30
Save the giblets and neck for soup (or cook the neck in the skillet, as I would).
-
31
Trim and cut excess skin and fat, and cut them up for the skillet.
-
32
Grasp a wing near the body and bend it back firmly, exposing the armpityoull feel the connecting joint.
-
33
Cut through it to remove the wing; repeat on the other side.
-
34
Slice off the outside thin wing piece for the soup pile; cook the meatier wing pieces in the skillet.
-
35
Set the breast facing up, and slice a line right down the middle, exposing the cartilage where the breast halves meet.
-
36
Now cut through the cartilage and bone with your shears or knife, following your line, splitting the duck open.
-
37
Open the breast halves and spread them apart, like opening a book, with the spine down the middle.
-
38
Now cut the duck apart along the spine, chopping with the base of your knife or cleaver at the tough parts.
-
39
One cut is all you need; leave the backbone attached to one of the long duck halves.
-
40
Cut each half crosswise, dividing the breast meat from the leg meattheres a natural dip between them.
-
41
Now you have four big pieces, two small wings, one neck, and lots of fat and skin to fry, following the recipe.
-
42
This skillet duck is delicious served just with cooked or grilled polenta.
-
43
Skillet Brussels Sprouts (page 271) is a harmonious accompaniment with or without polenta.
-
44
To serve on individual plates, arrange a whole leg, thigh and drumstick, on each plate, and top it with the pieces of olives and drops of remaining sauce.
-
45
Or you can cut the leg at the joint and serve two pieces.
-
46
If you are cooking the whole duck pieces, either serve as they are or cut in smaller pieces.
-
47
Duck bones are more brittle and splinter easily, so cutting at the joints is the way to go.
-
48
Dont discard delicious duck fat!
-
49
Youll get almost a pound of fat with skin attached when youre trimming duck legs for this recipe or for guazzetto (page 154).
-
50
Both the fat and the skin are full of flavor and easy to render, giving you a snack of delicious cracklings and a small crock of pure duck fat.
-
51
Heres how:
-
52
Cut the trimmings into rough 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
-
53
Within a few minutes, the fat will have started rendering and the skin will be sizzling.
-
54
Cook slowly for 20 minutes or more, until the skin cracklings are crisp and browned all over.
-
55
Lift out the cracklings with a spider or strainer, and toss them on a paper towel with a little salt.
-
56
Pour the rendered duck fat into a heatproof bowl or small crock.
-
57
(If youre not sure whether its heat-proof, put a spoon in the crock to temper the heat.)
-
58
Store duck fat in a closed crock; it will solidify and keep for a month and more.
-
59
To use, just spoon into a pan; it will melt immediately, like butter.
-
60
Use it as a cooking fat when frying eggs, making sauces like Bolognese, and braising meats.
-
61
Enjoy the cracklings as a snack, or dress a soup with them.
-
62
You can use them instead of bacon in a quick pasta dish, or add them to a recipe like Spaghetti with Asparagus Frittata (page 99).
-
63
Also, duck cracklings are delicious tossed in a green salad, in Poached Whole Zucchini with Lemon and Olive Oil, in scrambled eggs, or kneaded into focaccia just before baking.
