Tour de France '20 - Stage 11: Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers.
As the riders moved along the Poitou-Charentes in a westward manner, they ended the day in Poitiers. While studying the region, the words "compote" and "duck" reached into my soul. Since I had an entire duck on hand (the only way I could get duck offal to make my pâté back in Stage 8), I butchered the bird and slowly roasted the meat until it gave every last ounce of rendered fat available. Then I braised it with wine, spices, stock and root vegetables. Later, as they are specifically want to do in Poitiers, I pulled the softened meat from the bone and reunited it back with the veggie pals they had been bathing with for the last 90 minutes.
Finally, a finish with a little cognac and dijon mustard. Before starting this journey, while I cook nearly every day, I’ve never really written down my steps and never thought of myself as a creator. But, as it turns out, I developed and executed my own recipe today, from the ground up, and I'm pretty thrilled with the outcome: a smokey, savory, and deeply satisfying compote which paired quite well with some adorable and flavorful cabbage-stuffed cabbages. It was after this stage that I thought: “Maybe I can start a food blog!” Hope you’re enjoying everything you’re seeing thus far.
Let me know info@mangiamccann.com if you’d like to see anything: specific regions, dishes, techniques - I’m up for anything.
Compote de Canard (Duck Compote)
Duck leg quarters and wings
Onion
3 celery stalks
6 carrots
2 ears of corn, shucked
Orange
Green apple
Garlic
Bouquet garni: bay leaf, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and tarragon
Tomato paste
Dry white wine, preferably from the Haut-Poitou region
Nutmeg
Chicken stock or homemade duck stock
Chinese five spice
¼ lb of smoked slab bacon
Dijon mustard
Champagne vinegar
Generously season the duck, using kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place skin-side down into a dutch oven and render the fat over medium-low heat until the skin is golden and crisp (about an hour, giving the pot a quarter turn every 15 minutes ensuring equal browning). Raise the temperature to medium and continue cooking skin-side down for an additional 5 minutes to obtain a darker crust. Season the meaty side of the duck with a ¼ tsp of Chinese five spice, then flip the pieces and brown on the other side for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrots), break the corn cobs in half, skin the orange (reserving the rind and flesh), peel and chop the apple and place in a bowl of water (squeeze the orange into the apple water to prevent browning) and make a bouquet garni by tying together 4 leafy sprigs of parsley, 4 sprigs of thyme, the bay leaf and a 3-inch sprig of rosemary and tarragon. Preheat the oven to 400º, placing the rack in lower-third.
Once the duck has been rendered, transfer the duck to a plate, raise the heat to medium-high and saute the mirepoix for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Be sure to season the mirepoix with ¼ tsp of table salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add 1 tbsp of tomato paste and 3 minced cloves of garlic, stirring constantly. After a minute, add ¾ cup of wine, and deglaze the pot. After the wine has been reduced by half, add the drained apples, orange rind, corn and bouquet garni, along with a pinch of nutmeg and 2 cups of stock, stirring to combine. Add the duck (and any drippings) back to the pot skin-side up and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. After 30 minutes, lower the heat to 350º and roast another hour, giving the vegetables a little stir after 30 mins and adding ¼ cup each of wine and chicken stock. Meanwhile, slice bacon into ¼ inch lardons and saute over medium-low heat in a saute pan, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered (approx. 30 mins) and transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Remove the duck pieces from the pot and let cool slightly. Pull the meat from the bones, shredding it into bite-size pieces and discarding any over-blackened or unrendered skin/fat. Meanwhile, remove and discard the corn, orange zest, and bouquet garni. Add the duck meat back along with the lardons and stir in a ½ tsp each of champagne vinegar and Dijon mustard. Season with additional salt, pepper, or even a dash of cognac, if desired.
Cabbage-stuffed Cabbage
Savoy Cabbage
2 tbsp rendered duck fat
Tomato
2 onions
4 or 5 carrots
4 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken stock
Apple cider vinegar
Bring a medium-sized dutch oven of salted water to a boil. Cut off about 3 inches from the bottom of the cabbage and gently separate the leaves. Add to the boiling water (you may want to tie up all of the cabbage in cheese cloth to keep it together), ensuring the leaves submerge. Place the lid on the pot and leave to cook for 8 mins. Meanwhile, large-dice the tomato, halve and slice the onions ¼-inch thick, and thinly slice the carrots. Preheat the oven to 400.
Remove the cabbage (discarding the boiling water) and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Take the 6 outermost leaves and place on a work surface. Drain and gently squeeze the water from the remaining smaller leaves, distributing them in equal amounts among the 6 largest leaves, and placing the squeezed cabbage about 2 inches from the bottom of the large leaves. Roll up the large leaves (around the cabbage stuffing) into compact bundles that fit into your palm.
Melt the duck fat in the now-empty pot over low heat. Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, the diced tomato and half of the onions and carrots. Place the bundles on the bed of vegetables and top with the remaining onions and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cover with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for 75 minutes.
When serving, place the cabbage bundles on a platter, add a few dashes of vinegar to the vegetable in the pot, stirring to incorporate and spoon atop of the stuffed cabbages.
Copyright 2020, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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