Duck Ham

[jmolinari]

foodman, i just basically put the casing on the end of a funnel , and push themeat into it with the back of a wooden spoon...now this was with a 60mm casing for my salame, it would be really hard with small suasages.

jason

[FoodMan]

Right now I have a pork butt hanging in the fridge in an attempt to make Fergus Henederson's cured ham recipe from his The Whole Beast. We'll see how this turns out.

Ok so after a long wait, I tried my first attempt at this cured ham this weekend. My first thought was…boy this needs some fine tuning. I could taste two problems, it had a very strong wine/alcohol taste from the long two week soak AND it was way too salty. The texture and dryness were perfect.

For this batch, the first and more serious issue could be sort of remedied by cutting the outside “skin” off the slices. The second however is not as easy to fix. So, for this batch I can only serve it in very thin slices on top of salads, or with other mild flavored ingredients in a sandwich or pizza. So eating it as is, is out of the question.

For next time here’s what I was thinking about doing:

Reduce the wine by boiling off the alcohol then cut with a little water. Soak the meat for a shorter period of time.

Use less salt.

Or maybe I should try a whole new recipe????

BTW, I did take some pics but did not have the chance to download them yet. Hopefully I will get to doing that tonight.

Elie

[Wolfert]

Working with "mikeycook" (see first posting in this thread) we developed a revised recipe for the re-issue of The Cooking of South West France. I'd like to share it with you because I think it is really very fine.

AIR-DRIED DUCK BREAST

“Jambon” de Magret

Fresh (not defrosted) duck breasts can be treated in the same manner as one cures a ham. The breasts are rubbed with salt and pepper, and are left to hang until firm and dry but not hard, about 12 to 15 days. The salt draws out the moisture that would harbor bacteria, and the air drying keeps it from deteriorating.. The resulting “ham” is very flavorful and prosciutto-like in texture. It is served very thinly sliced with fresh figs, melon wedges, or a platter of pickled wild leeks (see mail order page ooo). The fat is reminiscent of the Italian lardo.

The recipe is a creation of Jean-Louis Palladin, not an old traditional recipe..Many cooks have expanded on the technique, such as smoking the breast after curing and it is wonderful. I particularly like Ariane Daguin’s d’Artagnan smoked duck breast. Try it as an alternative to the air dried duck breast if you don’t have the temperament to wait 2 weeks to cure your own duck breast. See recipes below with melon, salad and …. pickled wild leeks. (see mail order.)

I have a Catalan friend who makes a spicier version. He combines paprika, cayenne pepper, oil, and vinegar to make a thick paste he rubs on the flesh.

SERVES 6 TO 8

•Prepare about 2 weeks in advance

ACTIVE WORK: 20 to 30 minutes

CURING TIME: 2 weeks

You will need about 1 yard clean cheesecloth

1 whole fresh, boneless mulard or Muscovy duck breast with skin on

(each magret weighs 13 to 16 ounces )

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) very coarse salt (rock or pickling )

I used maldon salt

2 teaspoons roughly crushed black pepper

1 small handful of fresh thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Scrape away a thin layer of the skin surface and save for the note below. Make criss crossing lines with a knife on the fat side but not deep enough to touch the flesh. Gently rub the flesh and skin side of each breast half with salt and pepper and herbs. Place on paper towel lined plate , top with paper towels and refrigerate, uncovered, 24 hours.

3. THE FOLLOWING DAY, wipe each breast to remove herbs, spices and salt, dip in 2 tablespoons vinegar for 10 seconds and dry well. Repeat with the second breast. Place one breast, skin side down, on a double layer of 1/2yd x ½ yd cheesecloth and press and roll to create a nice cylinder. Then as tightly as possible without leaving airspace on the flesh side tie up at each end. Repeat with the second breast. Hang 2 weeks turning upside down after one week. You can hang these duck breasts in a frost free refrigerator, otherwise use a really cool part of the cellar.

AFTER 7 DAYS, turn them upside down.

The duck breasts are ready when the fleshy sides feel very firm and the skin sides feel firm but there is some “give” when they are pressed.

The duck hams do not last very long, about 1 week. Keep them refrigerated in a suspended position until ready to unwrap. Thin-slice the fleshy side on the diagonal, like smoked salmon. Serve as part of an antipasto, thinly sliced in a cold consommé with cubed melon balls, or with warm asparagus dressed with a light walnut oil vinaigrette. Odds and ends of the “ham” can be chunked and used like bacon or duck cracklings in a green salad.

Notes:

When I lived in an apartment in New York I cured the duck breasts by hanging the packets about 3 feet in front of a fan or air conditioner in such a way that the breasts didn’t touch each other .

What to do with the skin scrapings:Cut up and fry in a skillet. Use the crisps for a snack and save the fat for cooking.

Air-Cured Duck Ham with Mixed Melon

You can substitute smoked duck breast in this recipe. Either makes a great appetizer and a play on the classic melon with prosciutto.

Active work:20 minutes

Serves 8

½ recipe air-cured magret (see recipe above) or 1 smoked duck breast

1 ½ quarts mixed melon cubes, ¾ inch each

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons walnut oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Thinly slice the duck with or without the fat. Keep moist under plastic wrap. In a large bowl, combine the melon squares .

2. Just before sercving, add the fresh juices and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Add half the slices and toss. Add the remaining slices attractively on top and generously sprinkle with pepper.

[FoodMan]

Thanks for sharing the recipe Paula. One question, why scrape the skin? How much "scrapings" do you actually get from a Magret?

Elie

[Wolfert]

I think the scraping does a number of things including an optimum cleanliness and a lovely soft texture. The lardo texture was something I had never noticed before the addition of scraping to the recipe. How much to scrape ...well, I used a potato swivel blade once one way..it was enough to take away the pimply skin.

[FoodMan]

I think the scraping does a number of things including an optimum cleanliness and a lovely soft texture. The lardo texture was something I had never noticed before the addition of scraping to the recipe. How much to scrape ...well, I used a potato swivel blade once one way..it was enough to take away the pimply skin.

You are always full of great tips. I will certainly try scraping next time I make duck "ham" to see the difference.

Elie

[Wolfert]

Thank you so much. Please don't chill the duck breast so you can easily scrape off the surface fat and also please don't forget to wash off the salt with vinegar rather than water.

The melon recipe is really very pretty and easy once you have product on hand

Edited July 29, 2004 by Wolfert (log)

[artisanbaker]

i would like to wish you all long and happy lives; and please if you ever want to sell your product to a busy chicago baker type then please pm me. i used to buy this at some neighbors in france who raised fois gras ducks and found it better than butter.

[Jonathan Day]

Thanks to everyone on this thread for some wonderful ideas.

A question about the salt. Does it need to be refined or purified? In France it's easy and inexpensive to buy large bags of very coarse sea salt (sometimes called sel gris, gray salt), but this stuff is not at all refined; sometimes it's even a bit damp. Can this be used for curing, or should you stick to a refined product like Maldon salt or Diamond Crystal kosher salt?