My Greatest Work

My Favorite Hors D'oeuvre

So the other day was the office holiday party. It was pot luck affair at noon. Always looking for an opportunity to cook and impress, this was a good opportunity to do both. I had been playing with some ideas on how to prepare duck in my mind, so I decided to test out my theories on my co-workers. What I had in mind was duck wrapped in ham, with a cognac and berry sauce. The ingredients I used were top notch and they really came together to take this dish from good to great.

To make about 30 pieces you will need the following:

• 4 boneless duck breasts, with the skin on
• ½ pound ham, a thin sliced cured and aged ham works best. I got a great Spanish style ham that was cured for 14 months at Surdyk’s deli.
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Black pepper
• Thyme
• Garlic, about a quarter clove
• Cognac, about 1 cup (I used a 1982 Grand Cru, but any grape brandy should do the trick)
• 1 pint of blackberries
• 1 pint of raspberries
• Nutmeg
• Sugar, about two table spoons
• Neutral oil (canola works well), about a teaspoon

This recipe is multi step, so it will take some time.

The Duck

• Rub duck breasts in black pepper and thyme. Place in pan and splash with cognac. Allow to sit over night.
• In a large frying pan heat olive oil, and add crushed garlic. On high heat sear duck breasts on both sides. Reduce heat and add about a ½ cup cognac and simmer.
• When the duck breast is still slightly rare remove from heat and the pan and allow to cool.
• Slice into bite sized pieces.
• Wrap in ham and fasten secure with a toothpick
• In a frying pan on medium high heat, melt butter. Fry wrapped duck pieces until ham begins to brown and crisp.

The Sauce

• Rinse berries and place in a mixing bowl.
• Add the neutral oil, sugar, and a dash of nutmeg, tossing gently to coat berries.
• Spread berries out in a backing pan and place in an oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. (The berries should roast, do not burn them) This will concentrate their flavors.
• Place roasted berries in a sauce pan. On low heat mash into a sauce. Add about ½ cup cognac.
• Simmer until the sauce reaches a thickened state.
• Arrange duck pieces on a serving platter and dribble sauce over. Serve hot! Cold duck is greasy and most unpleasant. Duck cooked properly is slightly rare (pink); if it is over cooked it will become dry and rubbery. By properly searing the duck its natural juices can be locked in. Avoid using a fork to turn it. If cooked right the duck will be incredibly moist.

Enjoy!