Duck Confit with Roasted Celeriac

This post is a bit of a cheat, in that I didn't prepare my own duck confit. However I always wondered what those vacuum-sealed packages of duck confit were like, so last week I picked one up at the market. Not cheap -- $12 for one fat-preserved leg -- but I chose a Quebec brand figuring it'd be of good quality.

You know what? It was pretty tasty! And so easy to prepare. Basically you unwrap the packaging, place the leg on a baking sheet skin side down, pop it in the oven at 400F for five minutes, then flip it over so it's skin side up and put the oven on broil to crisp the skin for another five minutes or so. Keep an eye on it though, you don't want the skin going from crispy brown to crispy black.

On the side I served some roasted celeriac, a great match for duck. And some orange relish over top. As you know, orange and duck also pair wonderfully. At nearly 50 grams of fat per package, I won't be eating duck confit every week, but every once in a while it's a nice indulgence.

Roasted Celeriac

1 celery root
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash celery root and cut off outer layer. Dice.

Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes.

Orange Relish

1 large orange
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel orange. Blanch peels in boiling water; drain and chop roughly.

Trim off and discard pith from orange. Cut orange into small pieces and combine with chopped peel, sugar and white wine vinegar in a small pot.

Simmer gently until liquid cooks down and relish becomes slightly syrupy, about 5-6 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Source: Anthony Sedlak, The Main

Pan-Fried Duck Breast with Orange, Thyme and Juniper Rub

This recipe was so good I made it twice in under a week. Decadent, yes, but the reason for the second go-round is that I wanted to serve it to my parents who were in town for dinner last night. It's one of Anthony Sedlak's recipes from his cookbook The Main, based on the TV series of the same name, and I've got to hand it to the Vancouver chef -- the man knows food.

Everything in this recipe went together wonderfully well -- the juniper, orange zest and thyme rub on the duck breast, the sides of rosemary-roasted plums and roasted celeriac, even the homemade orange relish. Also, as per Anthony's suggestion I used some of the rendered duck fat to fry the celeriac before roasting it, and it was delicious. That and the roasted plums were revelations -- I couldn't believe the sweet, almost floral aroma given off by the plums after they'd cooked for half an hour. Magnificent. My parents enjoyed the meal too -- so much that my mom plans to make this next time they have friends for dinner. Couldn't have asked for higher praise!

Pan-Fried Duck Breast with Orange, Thyme and Juniper Rub

4 duck breasts
1 tbsp black pepper
Zest of one orange
2 tsp crushed juniper berries
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Lightly score skin side of breasts.

Combine black pepper, orange zest, juniper berries, parsley and thyme in a bowl and mix well. Pat firmly onto flesh side of duck breasts. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Let duck breasts stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Season generously on flesh sides with sea salt. Place duck breasts skin side down in a large, ovenproof skillet and cook slowly over medium heat until fat renders and skin becomes crispy and golden, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain pan of excess heat as needed; reserve 2 tbsp of duck fat for the roasted celeriac.

Finish cooking in oven 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest at least 10 minutes in a warm place. Thinly slice against grain before serving.

Serves 4

Courtesy The Main, Anthony Sedlak, Whitecap Books, 2008

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