Sauteed Duck with Root Vegetables

My local grocer carries duck. My dog eats duck. I had duck at a fancy restaurant the other day. Why don't I cook duck?! Well. Now I do. I doubt I'm going to use a recipe in the future, but here is one that I thought I'd try for my first duck-attempt. It went quite well and was delicious!

Who doesn't like duck?!
Easy meals that seem fancy
Are always handy.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 whole duck, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup flour, plus 2 Tablespoons
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbps black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 2/3 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2/3 cup chopped parsnips
• 1/2 cup chopped turnips
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tbp chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 3 cups duck stock (or mushroom broth)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup fried parsnip strips
• 2 Tbsp chopped green onions

1. In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil. Mix 1/2 cup flour with paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the duck pieces in the flour. When the oil is smoking hot, add the duck pieces, skin side down. Brown the duck for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to get an even browning. Remove the duck and set aside.
2. In the same oil, stir in 2 Tbsp of the remaining flour. Add the onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, turnips and garlic. Saute the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Add the duck pieces. Pour the stock and red wine into the pan.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.
   
4. Mound the potatoes in the center of a shallow bowl. Remove a couple of duck pieces and place on top of the potatoes. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the duck. Garnish with parsnip strips and green onions.

Next time, I'm going to grill the duck, or maybe broil it? And put everything atop collard greens too. It was excellent with champagne though!

Recipe adapted from "New Orleans Cooking" by Emeril Lagasse.
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Food Fork

Okay - on an old episode of Julia Child's cooking show that I recently watched, she used a fork that looked SO HANDY. I searched all over the internet and actually found it at Amazon.com for less than $10! I have used it as a slotted spoon, to flake fish, and shown here, to mash potatoes. It is my new favorite utensil!

Deep Dish Pizza

Okay - I thought being able to make your own deep dish pizza was a myth. I had spent time away from Chicago craving it. I spent a fortune to send one to my husband for his birthday one year. But then..... THEN.... I came across a recipe from a trustworthy source and thought I'd try it out. It took four hours beginning to first bite, but I was on vacation and had all the time in the world. And let me tell you - it was worth it. I'd say it was closest in taste to Lou Malnati's pizza, though less greasy (which is a good thing, right?). [You do need a stand mixer with a dough hook to make this pizza though. For those of us who don't have room in our apartments for such a thing, it is probably because we live in Chicago, in which case, we can just order a deep dish pizza.]

Deep Dish Pizza Pie
Even at High Altitude
Is worth the Effort.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp table salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/4 cups water, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 Tbsp, softened
• 1 tsp plus 4 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated onion, from 1 medium onion
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• table salt
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or presed through garlic press (about 2 tsp)
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen is great)
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ground black pepper

Toppings:

• 1 pound mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups) (shred it yourself, preshredded won't melt)
• 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 pound ground spicy italian sausage, browned (for one sausage pizza)
• 1 cup spinach, steamed, squeezed out, and chopped (for one spinach pizza)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed until they have lost much of their liquid (for a good pizza)

1. FOR THE DOUGH: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.)
2. Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.
3. TO LAMINATE THE DOUGH: Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15 by 12 inch rectangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along edges. Starting at shot end, roll dough into tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18 by 4 inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like business letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Repeat with remaining half. Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes.
4. FOR THE SAUCE: While dough rises, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat 2 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan. Lightly press dough into pan,
   
6. working into corners and 1 inch up sides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with remaining dough ball.
7. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella evenly over surface of dough. Spread desired topping next (sausage, or spinach, or mushrooms, or all). Spread 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Delicious. Recipe from Cooks Illustrated, February 2010.
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