Duck Drumsticks
YIELD: 4 appetizer servings
Drumsticks
- 12 duck drumsticks (about 1.5 kg or 3 ⅓ lb)
- 18 g (1 tablespoon) coarse salt
- 2 L (8 cups) duck fat
- 50 g (a scant ½ cup) Pickled Onions
- 4 g (1 tablespoon) chopped fresh Italian parsley
Pickled Onions
- 750 ml (3 cups) white vinegar
- 750 ml (3 cups) water
- 125 ml (½ cup) maple syrup
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 whole clove garlic
- 500 g (4 cups) sliced onions
Sauce
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) brandy
- 100 ml (6 ½ tablespoons) white wine
- 500 ml (2 cups) PDC duck stock
- 350 ml (1 ½ cups) maple syrup
- 150 g (5 ¼ oz) cheddar, cut into 1.5 cm (½-inch) dice
Turnip Purée with Brown Butter
- 500 g (1 ¼ lb) turnip
- 375 ml (1 ½ cups) 35% cream
- 250 ml (1 cup) water, approximately
- 225 g (1 cup) Brown Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
Drumsticks
Sprinkle the salt all over the drumsticks and refrigerate for 12 hours. Remove the drumsticks from the fridge and rinse off any excess salt. The saltiness will end up perfectly balanced this way.
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
Melt the duck fat in a large ovenproof casserole or a deep roasting pan. Submerge the drumsticks completely in the duck fat and cover the pan with aluminum foil or a lid.
Bake the drumsticks until very tender, 3 to 4 hours. With just a little pressure from your finger, the meat should pull away from the bone. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside at room temperature until use. The duck fat can be reused and will be even tastier after cooking.
Pickled Onions
Place the onions in a heatproof bowl. Combine the vinegar, water, maple syrup, rosemary and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the onions. Let cool to room temperature. Set aside the onions required for the recipe and store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. This delicious condiment will keep for several months.
Sauce
Use a skillet that’s big enough to hold the drumsticks and sauce.
Sweat the shallot in the butter. Deglaze with the brandy and flambé until the alcohol has burned off. Add the white wine and reduce until evaporated. Add the duck stock and maple syrup and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois into a bowl to ensure the sauce is smooth.
Return the sauce to the skillet over medium heat and add the drumsticks. Spoon the sauce over the drumsticks as it gradually reduces. The sauce will glaze the drumsticks. Some sauce should remain for drizzling over the drumsticks when serving. If the sauce reduces too much, you can stir in a little water.
About two minutes before serving, add the diced cheddar to the sauce. Continue cooking until the cheese has melted.
Turnip Purée with Brown Butter
Peel the turnip and cut into 5 cm (2-inch) chunks. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the turnip, cream and enough water to cover. Cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Strain the turnip well and discard the cooking liquid.Return the turnip to the heat for a minute to evaporate any remaining liquid and ensure it is as dry as possible.
Purée the turnip in a Thermomix or food processor until very smooth. Blend in the brown butter. The goal is to emulsify the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The purée can be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave. Take care not to reheat it too much or the butter fat could separate from the purée.
Assembly
Place the drumsticks on the turnip purée and drizzle the sauce over the dish. Garnish with the pickled onions and parsley.
