duck confit and cheese

[tommy]

i'm considering a duck confit quesadilla of sorts for the superbowl festivities. prolly with a fruit (mango) salsa, as duck likes sweet fruits.

i'm having a hard time coming up with a cheese or cheese blend. i'm of the opinion that cheddar or even jack will overpower, or at the very least, won't compliment the duck. a brief search on google returned Oaxaca cheese, which is a white cow's milk cheese (from mexico of course of course). but i'm thinking i won't be able to locate this on a sunday in NJ.

any thoughts on what kind of cheese duck confit might like? no cheese perhaps? a fruit puree instead? i dunno. help a guy out, could ya?

[Tonyfinch]

Er....why on earth would you want to pair duck with cheese?

[tommy]

Er....why on earth would you want to pair duck with cheese?

i want to pair duck with quesadilla. cheese goes with the territory. i'm relatively sure that pairing duck confit and cheese, or fat at the very least, isn't a new or obscure idea. especially considering *this* group. and, as i said, cheese isn't necessary. i'm looking for ideas on how to execute the concept of "duck confit quesadilla," rather than mixing duck with cheese on a tortilla.

ediot: speeling.

Edited January 11, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Priscilla]

Tommy have you considered a Fontina?

Last evening we put some very nice Fontina on a pizza, and I was reminded how nutty it is, just when you think it's all about sweet. Course some Fontinas are majorly sweeter than others. Just a thought. But add in the fruity whatever to the flavor profile and it sounds good to me!

[Toby]

Off Tommy's topic -- we made quesadillas once with shredded grilled quail meat and a fresh, very soft goat cheese. The cheese didn't really melt, but it was very not-fat tasting and complemented the darkness of the quail meat. What if you used both duck confit and pan seared duck breast? Are you using flour tortillas?

[guajolote]

Quesadillas with fresh mozzarella are great, and mozzarella is kind of nuetral taste. I can buy oaxaca cheese (made by Supremo) here in Chicago (it's like string cheese) but it tastes nothing like real Oaxaca cheese, which is unpastuerized.

[Steve Martin]

I would try feta, if your confit isn't too salty.

Taleggio if you are melting it down.

[tommy]

What if you used both duck confit and pan seared duck breast?  Are you using flour tortillas?

pan seared duck breast is generally too chewy and tough for my taste. i generally use flour tortillas, although i haven't given it much thought for this application.

why don't i know what fontina tastes like?

[Suzanne F]

There are two different kinds of Fontina: the real one from Italy (Fontina d'Aosta), and imitations from Denmark (or Sweden) . Max McCalman describes it thus:

A compact chunk of cheese.  Although it does possess the buttery, nutty quality of many Gruyère-type cheese, it also features a clean, fresh-milk taste that matches well with the buttery oak-aged California-style Chardonnays. ... Semihard, of smooth consistency and fairly elastic with a nutty, buttery flavor and a characteristic sweetness including hins of honey.  Genuine Fontina is at once luscious and subtle, capturing the essence of milk from cows that feast on the succulent flowers and grasses of the Italian Alps.

Does that jog your taste memory?

[dlc]

I would suggest a mild chevre type goat cheese that would not conflict with the duck and still give a queso style. I might suggest a sundried tomato pesto as another filling to go with the duck, or just duck confit, caramelized yellow onions and goat cheese

[Liza]

Tommy,

If you think you might have trouble locating whatever cheese you decide upon, I'll pick it up for you at Murray's and deliver it over lunch. Fair deal?

[Andy Lynes]

How about that peppered pecorino that Tom Colicchio uses for a salad of favas in "Think Like A Chef"?

[tommy]

Tommy,

If you think you might have trouble locating whatever cheese you decide upon, I'll pick it up for you at Murray's and deliver it over lunch. Fair deal?

oh that's so very tempting on so many levels.

[GordonCooks]

Er....why on earth would you want to pair duck with cheese?

i want to pair duck with quesadilla. cheese goes with the territory. i'm relatively sure that pairing duck confit and cheese, or fat at the very least, isn't a new or obscure idea. especially considering *this* group. and, as i said, cheese isn't necessary. i'm looking for ideas on how to execute the concept of "duck confit quesadilla," rather than mixing duck with cheese on a tortilla.

ediot: speeling.

I've made a Duck Meat burrito before that easily converts to a Quesadilla.

Shredded Duck Meat

Rice & Pintos

Manchego Cheese

Some chopped scallions.

I used a sweet tomato and Ancho chile sauce on the side.

For you

Maybe a Tomatillo and Mango salsa with cilanto ?

[Bux]

Seeing as how there isn't an obvious cheese to accompany duck confit, why quesadilla or why duck confit? Maybe I'm just not being turned on by any of the suggested cheeses.

[tommy]

Seeing as how there isn't an obvious cheese to accompany duck confit, why quesadilla or why duck confit? Maybe I'm just not being turned on by any of the suggested cheeses.

bux, there have been several suggestions of cheeses to pair with the duck. a few of those from actual experience. why would you proclaim "there isn't an obvious cheese to accompany duck confit"? as far as my choice goes, i explained my motives above. i don't feel that i need to again.

thanks to everyone for their input.

[Liza]

AH! GordonCooks - Manchego! That feels/sounds right to me.