Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Duck Prosciutto advice!


Boris Abrams

Recommended Posts

Hi there!

I am planning to cure meat for the first time - but I have a few anxieties and questions.I would like to make duck Prosciutto.

Firstly, just how safe is this? I will be following the recipe provided by Paula Wolfert in 'The Cooking of Southwest France' (and using this recipe for added guidance:http://andhereweare.net/2014/01/duck-...

However, I wonder, just how safe is it?
I can hang it in our conservatory or a dark pantry (which will be the coolest) - its currently around 46F during the day time at the moment. I assume this is not too hot?
Or would it be better to hang my duck breasts outdoors? (and hope the squirrels dont get too excited!) 
Equally, I could hang them in a dark room indoors, and turn a fan onto them ever few hours to mimic mountain wind....

What do you think would work best/be the safest? I am being paranoid, I know.

As I dont cook pork in my house so many recipes are unacceptable. I would love to cook the ragus of the Kasper's Splendid Table, which contain Prosciutto and the numerous ham-based dishes in Wolfert's French cookbook. If I were to add my duck prosciutto to a pasta dish, soup or casserole, would it add the same umani savoury notes as true pork prosciutto? Or is Duck prosciutto based simply eaten on its own, as one would eat the finest Spanish ham (mmm just thinking about Jamon Iberioc Bellota makes my mouth water...)

Any tips/advice would be welcome! Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's safe.

More here... http://forums.egullet.org/topic/42707-duck-ham/

 

I use a little fish salt to boost the umami when making things such as this...which cure and dry relatively quickly.

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ruhlman's recipe indicates that a humid environment with a temperature of 50F - 60F is optimal for hanging duck proscuitto. So you should be fine.

Yes. But I never quite trust his view on food safety issues. In the past he has been hard-headedly cavalier with the basics. Probably ok with enough salt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah gulfporter, that is an interesting take on how to make it! I was unaware that you could cure it simply in the fridge! 

Do you think it would be a good replacement for prosciutto in Italian pasta based dishes which include it (or French!) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah gulfporter, that is an interesting take on how to make it! I was unaware that you could cure it simply in the fridge! 

Do you think it would be a good replacement for prosciutto in Italian pasta based dishes which include it (or French!)

I have made it and it is very good but it would take a far better imagination than mine to think that it can stand in for prosciutto.

  • Like 2

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thats just the curing process, you have to hang it and dry after

Re-read the recipe; no hanging.  We've made it at least half a dozen times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah gulfporter, that is an interesting take on how to make it! I was unaware that you could cure it simply in the fridge! 

Do you think it would be a good replacement for prosciutto in Italian pasta based dishes which include it (or French!) 

We always eat it 'straight' sliced thin on a plate with fresh fruit, good crackers.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hmm....its strange that some places state that the salting in and of itself is a 'drying' of the meat. I wonder how necessary it is to hang the duck?

 

I am still looking for a prosciutto substitute - its driving me nuts! I know nothing will taste like pork and I am not one of those people who seek to re-create a dish using new ingredients, whilst looking to taste something that is 'exactly' like the original. But i do want to have something to add that extra layer of depth in my food. I was thinking minced anchovies at first, but duck prosciutto seemed like the more obvious answer. Has anyone cooked with their duck prosciutto? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You need to salt it and cure it and hang it if you're going for this sort of result. Koshered meat isn't cured meat, and as it isn't salted for a long enough time. If you're using a Koshered breast, I'm not sure how much you'd need to adjust the recipe because Koshering practices aren't standardized. If you can find out how long it was salted, you might consider reducing the time. Salting isn't enough to sufficiently dry the protein. The general rule is that you're looking to lose 30% of the weight of the meat during the curing and drying process, and that's just not going to happen with salt alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...