What the Duck?!
Duck Nachos with Pineapple-Jalapeño Slaw. Photo by Abdi Aminlari for 3 Photographers.
A while ago, when I was contemplating ideas for future posts, I came across a recipe for cassoulet – a slow-cooked bean and meat dish with origins dating back to 14th century France. This particular rendition called for duck confit and that, somehow, got me thinking of duck tacos and how interesting they would be on a Super Bowl menu – especially since I was (rightly) certain New Orleans would be making the trip this year (Go Saints!!!). For anyone not getting the connection, duck = France/ New Orleans = french-inspired cooking.
Duck intrigues me. I like it when it’s prepared right but so often is either too gamey or paired with companions too sweet for my palate. So, it’s no surprise duck is not a go-to ingredient for me and my experience preparing it (other than using pre-smoked duck in a lovely quesadilla) is pretty much non-existent. But I had my head wrapped around creating a test duck taco appetizer to add to my Super Bowl XLIV party menu. I scheduled a photo shoot with my friend, Abdi, (who not only graciously volunteers his time to photograph some of the dishes for this blog but also designed the logo and look of the Word of Mouth site) for a Thursday morning in Brooklyn. Come Wednesday, I hadn’t organized my shopping list and found myself booked up with meetings most of the day. By the time 4pm rolled, around I had to force myself to get to the store and find some cooking motivation (other than pressure!).
One little problem… duck confit (the basis for this recipe) isn’t something you just whip up. First of all, the duck legs need to be salted and “set” for 24 hours before slow-poaching in a boat load of duck fat and curing them in the duck fat for one week. HUH? I didn’t even have 12 hours. What the duck??? My tragic flaw is I’m a cook who typically cooks without a recipe and often find myself in such situations. You can see how reading about the technique well in advance would’ve helped me out just a bit! I was committed, though, and determined to make this work. Come on, it’s a bird, how hard can it be?!
I thought, perhaps, I could roast a duck breast instead. I learned, however, duck breast is exponentially more expensive than duck legs. It’s a taco; I chose the legs. Next, I searched for rendered duck fat. The butcher didn’t have any and, surprisingly, didn’t even have skin and fat so I could render it myself. I decided to “wing” it! I rendered the fat from the legs I purchased. I removed the skin and fat from 4 legs, placed them in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and rendered the fat until the skin was sufficiently crispy (and gross). This produced about ¾ cups of beautiful golden-hued fat and I supplemented the rest with olive oil. Classic confit? Not exactly. Delicious? Yes!
Note: If you’re short on time, purchase pre-made duck confit or substitute the duck with pulled pork or shredded chicken. This recipe is just as tasty with mango instead of pineapple in the slaw or try your favorite fruit-infused salsa. The duck combo is also great wrapped in warm flour tortillas.
Recipe: Duck Nachos with Pineapple-Jalapeño Slaw
Makes 30 2” Nachos
Ingredients
Duck
4 duck legs, 8+ oz. each
1 ½ tbl. kosher salt
8 bay leaves
8 sprigs of thyme
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
¾ quarts (1 ½ lbs) duck fat
Nachos
10 6” round fresh corn tortillas
olive oil for brushing
kosher salt
Pineapple-Jalapeño Slaw
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 cup shredded and chopped nappa cabbage
1 medium jalapeño stemmed, seeded and diced
½ c. chopped cilantro
1 tbl. lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime rind
3 tbl. grated carrot (for garnish – optional)
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz. shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese
Prepare the Duck
Pull off large bits of fat and trim skin that hangs beyond the meat. Sprinkle half the salt in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Lay out the bay leaves and thyme and ½ the garlic in 4 piles. Place 1 duck leg on top of each and press the remaining bay leaves, thyme and garlic on top of the duck. Sprinkle with remaining salt and spread so all sides are coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Place duck fat in a heavy dutch oven and heat over low heat until melted. Scrape all of the seasonings from the duck and completely submerge the legs into the fat. Cover and adjust the heat so the fat stays just about 200°. Cook until very tender when pierced by a knife – 1 ½ - 2 hours (depending on the size of the legs). Let them cool in the fat* and, when cool enough to handle, remove with tongs. Remove the skin and shred the duck with 2 forks (*can be made up to 1 week ahead if store in the fat, otherwise, can be made up to 2 days in advance).
Prepare the Nachos
Preheat oven to 425°. Using a 2” round cookie cutter, cut rounds from the tortillas. One round should yield 3 tortillas. Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a cookie sheet and bake until crisp – 8 – 10 minutes. (Can be made 2 days in advance. Store at room temp in an air tight container. If you’re pinched for time, you can also buy Tostida Scoops).
Prepare the Pineapple-Jalapeño Slaw
Combine pineapple through grated lime rind. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature at least ½ hour before serving).
Assemble the Nachos
Preheat broiler. Place nachos on a baking sheet and Top with about 1 heaping tbl. of duck and sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven until cheese is just melted (about 5 minutes). Top with pineapple-jalapeño slaw and garnish with shredded carrot, if desired.
Stay tuned for more Super Bowl menu ideas all this week!!
