Caneton Braisé aux Navets

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6 to 7-quart (5.5 to 6.5 L) oval cocotte or Dutch oven
• •12-inch (30 cm) wide skillet with lid
• •Fine-mesh sieve and large heatproof bowl
• •Sturdy tongs or two wooden spoons
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Warm oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the turnips

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Quarter the peeled turnips if necessary, then trim each piece into an elongated garlic-clove shape with five or six smooth sides. Keep the pieces close in size so they finish together. Pat them completely dry; wet turnips spit in the fat and resist browning. Season the duck inside and out with 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 6 g) of the salt and all the pepper.

2. 2

   Brown the duckling

   Melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 43 g) of the butter in the cocotte over medium heat. When the foam subsides, lay in the duckling and brown it patiently for 12 to 15 minutes, rolling it with two wooden spoons or sturdy tongs until the breast, back, and thighs are deeply golden. Lift the bird to a plate. Pour the butter and rendered duck fat into a heatproof cup and reserve it, leaving the brown fond attached to the pot. If the butter solids turn black before the skin browns, stop and wipe out only the burnt fat, leaving any sound fond behind; add a little of the held-back butter and continue over lower heat. Black butter won't improve in the sauce, but ça se rattrape before the wine enters.

3. 3

   Build the braise

   Return the cocotte to medium heat and add the white wine. Let it hiss while you scrape up every brown speck from the bottom, then reduce the wine by half. Pour in the prepared Brown Stock and prepared Sauce Espagnole, keeping their equal proportion, and add the bouquet garni. Bring the sauce only to a bare simmer, return the duckling breast-side up, and cover the cocotte. Transfer it to the oven for 35 minutes. The sauce should tremble gently around the bird, never boil hard.

4. 4

   Cook the onions

   While the duck begins its braise, melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the butter in a wide skillet over low heat. Add the pearl onions and the remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) salt, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, rolling them occasionally. They should soften slightly and become glossy without taking much colour. Lift them into a bowl and keep the skillet ready.

5. 5

   Glaze the turnips

   Measure 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the reserved duck butter and fat into the skillet, adding the remaining butter if the cup is scant. Set it over medium-high heat and add the dried turnips. Brown them for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, until every piece has golden edges. Sprinkle over the sugar and toss for another 2 to 4 minutes, just until the turnips wear a glossy light-brown glaze. This is the step that decides the dish. If the sugar catches in one spot, lift the turnips out immediately, wipe the burnt patch from the skillet, and finish them in a little fresh reserved fat. Ça se rattrape. Do not cook them through yet.

6. 6

   Strain and assemble

   After the duckling has braised for 35 minutes, lift it carefully to a tray. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing lightly but not forcing the spent bouquet garni through, then skim away the loose fat. Wipe the cocotte and return the bird to it. Arrange the glazed turnips and butter-cooked onions around the duck, then pour the strained sauce over everything. Using the same cocotte instead of transferring the bird to a second saucepan removes brigade scaffolding without changing the method.

7. 7

   Complete the braise

   Cover the cocotte and return it to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, basting the bird and vegetables once halfway through. The duckling is ready when the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 165°F (74°C), the leg moves easily at its joint, and a knife slips into the turnips without resistance. If the vegetables become tender before the duck, lift them out and keep them covered; return them for the final few minutes rather than letting them collapse.

8. 8

   Finish the sauce

   Move the duckling and vegetables to a warm oval platter and let the bird rest for 15 minutes. Skim the sauce once more, then simmer it only as long as needed to become nappant, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon in a glossy layer. If it remains thin, reduce it gently; if it tightens too far, whisk in hot water one tablespoon at a time. Taste before adding salt because the Sauce Espagnole may already carry enough. Stir in any juices released by the resting duck.

9. 9

   Arrange and serve

   Present the duckling whole if you like, with the light-brown turnips and pearl onions arranged closely around it as in the original service, then carve at the table. Spoon enough sauce over the bird and garnish to make them gleam, and pass the remainder separately. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a young duckling near 4 lb (1.8 kg), not a large mature roasting duck. The smaller bird becomes tender within the time the turnips need, while a heavy duck can leave you choosing between tough legs and exhausted vegetables.
• •Small turnips have the finest texture, but large ones can serve if that is what the market offers. Peel them deeply, remove any fibrous core, and cut the pieces evenly before shaping. The trimmings belong in a soup pot.
• •Have the Brown Stock and Sauce Espagnole finished before you begin. They are complete preparations in the source method and remain complete here; re-creating either one inside the duck recipe would turn one evening into a campaign.
• •Use the duck's reserved browning fat for the turnips. Butter supplies sweetness, duck fat carries the bird's savour, and the sugar fixes both to the vegetable in a thin glaze. Pale turnips leave the braise flat.
• •A supple red Burgundy or a cru Beaujolais has enough freshness for the sweet turnips and enough savour for the duck. Serve the dish with plain mashed potatoes or good bread, because the sauce has already done the talking.
• •Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Kept covered, they hold for up to 3 days; reheat gently until the duck reaches 165°F (74°C), loosening the sauce with a spoonful of water if necessary.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Brown Stock and Sauce Espagnole in advance and refrigerate them separately. Bring both close to room temperature while shaping the vegetables so they join the braise without stopping its simmer.
• •The turnips may be shaped and the pearl onions peeled up to 8 hours ahead. Keep them refrigerated in separate bowls of cold water, then drain and dry them thoroughly before butter touches the pan.
• •For a dinner party, complete the whole braise up to a day ahead, lifting the turnips and onions from the sauce as soon as they are tender. Chill the duck, sauce, and vegetables promptly in separate shallow containers, then reheat the duck gently in the sauce and return the garnish only for the final 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)