My last post mentioned my adventures in Duck in order to recreate a duck sandwich I saw on a cooking show. The above picture does not really do the end result justice, Tender duck, melted cheese, crisp sweet onion on a toasted roll and savor duck stock to dip it in.. The general construction is basic. Roasted duck breast thinly sliced, fresh raw onion, provolone cheese on toasted bread. Accompanied by duck stock and french fires and crispy duck skin.
Making Duck stock is the same as making any other stock. Main flavoring ingredient, Aromatic vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper and just enough water to cover. I think the slight gaminess of duck pairs well with adding the earthiness of mushrooms to the standard stock aromatic vegetables.
Duck Stock Framework:
Main Ingredient:
- Duck carcass, neck, wings and giblets
Aromatic Vegetables:
- 3 or 4 Carrots, rough chopped
- 2 to 3 stalks of celery, rough chopped
- one large onion, quartered
- 6-8 large fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered
Seasoning:
- Fresh Tarragon
- Fresh Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt and Pepper
Bring to boil, then simmer over low heat covered for a few hours. Strain stock and allow to cool.
The real trick for the sandwich is cooking the duck breast. Duck breast can be cooked with skin on, or skin off. Since I wanted to render the fat out of the duck skin for use in duck confit at a later time, I went skin off. If grilling with skin on, be sure to cross hatch the skin/fat layer without cutting though the breast.
My favorite preparation is to start out smoking the breast and finish it by grilling it over a low temperature (250 degrees). I add a single chunk of hickory or pecan at the beginning to add a nice smokey flavor, and slow cook until medium-rare to medium (30-45 minutes). Don’t let the temperature get above 275 degrees or below 225 and be careful not to overcook. Let the duck rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
You can use any bread for the sandwich, I prefer a softer Italian style bread, but crusty French works well too (since you are dipping it in duck stock after all).
Extemporary Eats 