Girl Hunter Part 21

1 piece star anise, crushed (optional)

1 teaspoon juniper berries (optional)

6 tablespoons duck fat

1. Rinse the duck and pat dry. If using a leg, expose the leg bone with a paring knife 2. Make the confit salt by roughly chopping the herbs and combining all of the ingredients, except the duck and duck fat, in a small bowl.

3. Place in a baking dish or ovenproof skillet and rub on all sides with the salt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 300F and remove the duck from the refrigerator.

5. Rinse the legs or duck parts very well under running water for several minutes. Wipe out the baking dish and return the duck legs to it.

6. Scoop the duck fat into the baking dish and cover with tinfoil.

7. Place in the oven and roast for 2 to 3 hours. If there is skin on the legs, remove the foil for the last 30 minutes; if not, turn the meat over halfway through cooking. It is ready when the meat is very tender and has a shredded quality when pulled with a fork.

8. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve the meat hot or eat cold over a salad. It is also excellent in a terrine or a ca.s.soulet.

Duck Terrine

About 12 servings A terrine is a piece of architecture that takes several days of work and a bit of precooking. It requires a rectangular ceramic terrine mold and consists of layers of ingredients pressed and held together with cold fat. It may seem daunting, but it is worth every bit of work, and is an impressive appetizer, not just in how it tastes, but how it looks. If you want to start simply, you can leave out the inlay and add a bit more confit to the recipe to fill out the terrine. You can also experiment with the inlay-try a medley of pickled vegetables or rehydrated dried morels.

Inlay: 3 tablespoons Armagnac

1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves steeped in 2 cups water until strong but not bitter

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup dried figs (about 16), stems and base cut off so that both ends are flat

8 to 10 thin slices pancetta

Filling: 1 cup duck offal confit, including necks, gizzards, hearts, and livers (page 136), at room temperature

2 cups duck leg confit (page 136), at room temperature

1 cup braised hog belly, picked apart (page 176)

1/2 cup small-diced bacon

1/2 cup toasted and salted Sicilian pistachios

1 cup warm duck fat

1 teaspoon finely ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon coa.r.s.ely ground black peppercorns

1/2 nutmeg seed, grated

For the Inlay: 1. Preheat the oven to 300F.

2. Combine the tea, Armagnac, and salt. Add the dried figs and let sit overnight.

3. Lay out the pancetta in a line on a sheet of plastic wrap. The slices should overlap.

4. Drain the figs and arrange in a layer on top of the pancetta, so that the flat sides are snugly aligned.

5. Roll into a long rod, sealing the pancetta around the figs, using the plastic to help keep it tight. The pancetta fat will stay together most easily if it is at room temperature.

For the Filling: 1. Combine the two duck confits with the hog belly and bacon in a large bowl. Add the pistachios, duck fat, allspice, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well with a wooden spoon or by hand.

2. Pour a few drops of water into the bottom of the terrine mold. Line it lengthwise with plastic wrap so the plastic drapes over both ends of the mold. Fill the mold with water to help press the plastic into the contours of the mold, and press with your fingers. Pour out the water and pat the inside dry with a paper towel.

3. Press half the meat mixture into the mold.

4. Unroll the inlay and press gently along the center of the terrine. You may have to trim the inlay to fit the mold.

5. Gently place more of the meat mixture on each side of the inlay, making sure the inlay does not shift off-center. Add more meat on top and press down gently until the top of the meat is covered and smooth and compact.

6. Cover the terrine and place in a larger pan. Pour water into the pan halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake at 300F for about 2 hours.

7. Remove the terrine from the hot water bath and let it cool slightly. Press down the terrine. If possible, weight it down with a box of kosher salt wrapped in plastic and tied with more plastic to the terrine. Or use a similar heavy object that will fit into the opening of the mold. Chill overnight in refrigerator.

8. When ready to serve, and while it is still very cold, use a serrated knife and gently cut the terrine into slices 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices out on a cutting board and let come to room temperature. Garnish with micro greens, and sea salt if needed, and serve with crusty bread.

Goose or Duck Prosciutto

Serves 8 to 10 Curing meat was widespread among historical civilizations because it prevented food waste and guaranteed a food supply in the case of a poor harvest. The French and Italians were the first to raise this skill to an art form. Local craftsmen formed guilds and produced a range of cooked or salted dried meats, which varied from region to region. The only raw product they were allowed to sell was un-rendered lard. These preservation methods ensured that meats would have a longer shelf life, and this is done even in more modern times. Goose and duck prosciutto is simple to make at home, and is a perfect way to store the meat when you don't have time to cook it and you just can't fit another thing in your freezer. All that it requires is salt, cheesecloth, and some twine, plus a cool room with good relative humidity. The flavor is gamier and richer than hog prosciutto, and the color is a deeper red. But it still has that signature chewy, delicate, salty flavor. It is better to use larger b.r.e.a.s.t.s, because the smaller ones will cure and dry too intensely to have a delicate flavor and texture. You can keep the skin on and play with the seasonings-add rosemary, thyme, or garlic to make it more interesting. Store it in the refrigerator for one month or more and serve it sliced thinly with pears, crackers, cheese, or just by itself.

2 cups kosher salt

2 speckled goose or duck b.r.e.a.s.t.s, skin on or off (about 1 pound)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Pour half of the salt into a nonreactive container that will hold the b.r.e.a.s.t.s snugly without their touching. Place the b.r.e.a.s.t.s on the salt, skin side up if the skin is still on. Pour the remaining salt on top and pack it well into the container with your hands.

2. Cover the container with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

3. Remove the b.r.e.a.s.t.s from the salt, rinse them well under running water, and pat them dry. They should be a deeper red and feel firm to the touch.

4. Dust the b.r.e.a.s.t.s with pepper and wrap them individually in cheesecloth. Tie one end with a piece of string, which you can use to hang the b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

5. Hang in a relatively humid (60 to 80 percent humidity), cool (45 to 65F) place for 5 to 7 days (sometimes longer for larger b.r.e.a.s.t.s), until the flesh is stiff but not hard throughout. Remove from the cheesecloth and slice thinly to serve. These will keep refrigerated for about 1 month or so, well wrapped to prevent drying.

One does not hunt in order to kill, on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted.

-JOSe ORTEGA Y Ga.s.sET