DUCK APPETIZERS RECIPES

Steps:

• DUCK-FRIED RICE: This works with either homemade or doggie-bag rice and duck from a Chinese dinner out. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok. Add 1 clove of garlic, minced, a quarter-sized piece of ginger, minced, and cook until fragrant. Add 1/2 carrot, grated, a strip of red pepper, chopped, and 3 scallions, sliced. Break in an egg and cook until it forms curds. Add 1 cup of shredded cooked duck and 2 cups of cold, day-old rice. Heat through and season to taste with soy sauce and pepper flakes. Makes enough for two.
• SALAD: Toss mixed salad greens with vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Divide the greens among plates. Lay a few slices of duck breast on each plate and garnish with a dollop of cherry marmalade next to the duck.
• ANOTHER SALAD: Take a page from a chicken-salad recipe. Mix diced, smoked duck with diced celery, chopped scallions, roasted and chopped hazelnuts and a little good mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and serve as an open-face sandwich.
• SOUP: Use the duck carcass the same way you would make chicken soup and you'll have, you guessed it, rich duck soup.

Steps:

• Trim fat from legs and thighs, leaving skin intact over meat, but removing excess. In a bowl, combine duck with salt, juniper berries, bay leaves, and garlic, and rub salt mixture all over the duck to cover completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
• Remove from refrigerator and rub off excess cure (reserve garlic). Melt duck fat over medium heat in a Dutch oven large enough to hold duck, with about 3 inches space at the top. Add duck, skin side down, and heat until fat reaches about 200 degrees (test with a candy thermometer or electronic probe.) The surface should look like it is gently boiling (but should not actually be at a boil). Adjust heat if necessary to keep temperature consistent throughout cooking. Cook until the fat is clear and a knife stuck into one of the legs slides out easily, about 3 hours.
• Transfer the legs to several glass, stainless-steel, or glazed-stoneware containers. Strain fat, discarding any solids and pour, still warm, over legs, making sure they are completely covered. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 weeks.
• Remove desired amount of confit from fat, scraping off any excess, and keeping remaining legs covered with fat. Place skin side down in a cold cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet. Place over medium-low heat and cover. Cook until skin is crisp, spooning off excess fat as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Serve as desired.