Duck Paquet
Pretty golden brown pastry packets reveal marinated, sauteed duck with mushrooms and goat cheese. They are surrounded by a circle of rich red wine sauce with truffles and truffle oil. Brik is a thin French pastry dough similar to phyllo. It can be used in a single layer. If you substitute phyllo, stack 4 layers together for each circle, brushing each layer with melted butter as you stack them. Chef Bajeux creates his own dried garnish mixture by dehydrating corn kernels, peas, blueberries, cranberries, and half strawberries, then mixing them together. They create a colorful garnish, and are easy to make with a dehydrator.
Ingredients
- Duck leg quarters - 4
- Sea salt
- Garlic Cloves - 4, crushed
- Thyme Sprigs - 4, stemmed and chopped
- Rosemary Sprigs - 4, stemmed and chopped
- Artichokes - 2 large
- Carrots - , chopped
- Onion - 1, chopped
- Dry white wine - 2 cups
- Pinch of salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sauce
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 2, chopped small
- Carrot - 1, cut in small dice
- Red Wine - 2 cups
- Brandy - 1/2 cup
- Veal Stock - 1/4 cup
- Salt to taste
- Mustard - 1 teaspoon
- Dried White Truffle - 2 tablespoons
- White Truffle Oil - 2 teaspoons
- Mushrooms
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 3 cups, roughly chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Leek Leaves - 2, blanched and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
- Olive oil - for brushing
- Circles of brik - two, 10-inch circles, or phyllo dough
- Goat Cheese - 2 ounces
- White Truffle Oil - 2 teaspoons
- Dehydrated mixed vegetables and berries - 1 cup (optional; see note above)
Instructions
To prepare the duck: Sprinkle the duck quarters all over with sea salt. Put in a non-aluminum pan and cover with the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat a large non-stick ovenproof skillet over high heat and sear the duck for 30 seconds per side. Put the duck, in the skillet, into the oven and roast 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove and let cool enough to handle. Pull the duck apart, removing bones and excess fat, and cut the meat into 3/4-inch pieces. Set aside.
To prepare the artichokes: Trim off the top third of the artichokes and pull off the stiff lower leaves. Pare the stems and bases. Place the artichokes in a saucepan with the carrots, onions, wine, and salt. Add water to cover and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and let cook 20 to 25 minutes, until the bases can easily be pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove, drain, and stand upside down to let cool.
To prepare the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a non-stick saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and carrot and saute until slightly softened. Deglaze with the wine, then stir in the brandy. Cook until the liquid has been reduced to 1 cup. Stir in the veal stock and cook until syrupy. Season with salt. Remove from heat. With a whisk, stir in the mustard. Remove from heat and stir in the truffle and truffle oil. Set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the mushrooms: Heat the olive oil in a non-stick saute pan or skillet over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Toss to coat. Saute until the mushrooms are slightly browned, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
To make the packets: Cut off the tops of the artichokes and scrape out the hairy chokes with a spoon. Cut one artichoke in 1/2-inch dice; set the other aside for garnish. Add the artichoke dice to the mushrooms and saute 2 minutes. Add the duck meat and saute 1 minute.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush a baking pan with a thin coating of olive oil. Spread the circles of brik or phyllo dough out on a work surface. Place a mound of the duck mixture in the center of each. Top each with half the goat cheese. Press more of the duck mixture into the cheese. Pull up the dough around the filling like a purse, gather at the top, and tie with two leeks, tying each with a double knot to hold the packet closed. Brush with olive oil. Place in the baking pan and bake 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
To serve: Swirl 2 teaspoons truffle oil into the sauce and drizzle sauce in an open circle around each plate. Place a packet in the center of each. Cut the remaining artichoke into 1/4-inch lengthwise slices and stand the slices around the packet, thick end in, like radiating brackets. Scatter dried vegetables and berries over the sauce (optional).
