Caneton à la Cuiller

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 to 6 quart heavy oval cocotte with lid
• •4 quart oval terrine or deep ceramic baker, just large enough for the duck
• •Parchment paper for the cartouche
• •Fine-mesh sieve and damp muslin or lint-free cotton
• •Two wide spatulas or poultry lifters
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large bowl for an ice-water bath

Instructions

1. 1

   Fit and season

   Choose the holding terrine before cooking. With the duck's wings tucked beneath it and its legs tied close to the body, the vessel should leave no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space around the bird; too broad a dish demands a lake of weak aspic. Trim loose fat from the cavity, pat the skin thoroughly dry, then season the duck inside and out with the salt and pepper. If the neck and gizzard came with it, keep them for the braise, but leave out the liver because it clouds the liquor.

2. 2

   Build the fond

   Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Melt the butter in a 5 to 6 quart heavy oval cocotte over medium heat. Brown the duck patiently on the breast, back, and both sides, about 12 to 15 minutes in all; use tongs and a wooden spoon together so the skin does not tear. Brown the neck and gizzard alongside it, if using. Lift everything out, pour off the rendered fat into a heatproof bowl, and leave about 2 tablespoons in the pot. Add the onion and carrot and cook until golden at their edges. The fond, the browned glaze on the pot floor, is the foundation of the Madeira liquor.

   Dry skin and an uncrowded pot give you bronze. If the butter darkens before the bird colors, lower the heat and continue; black specks will make the aspic bitter.
3. 3

   Start the braise

   Pour in the Madeira and scrape the fond loose while the wine bubbles. Reduce it by half, until its raw alcoholic sharpness has gone and the aroma turns rounded and nutty. Return the duck and any browned neck or gizzard to the cocotte. Add about 3 cups (720 ml) of stock, enough to come halfway up the bird while keeping at least ½ cup (120 ml) in reserve. Bring the liquid only to a bare simmer. Press a cartouche (a parchment lid) directly over the duck, cover the cocotte, and transfer it to the oven.

4. 4

   Braise until yielding

   Braise for 2 to 2½ hours, basting every 30 minutes and turning the duck carefully after the first hour. It is ready when the leg rotates freely, a spoon enters the thickest part of the thigh without resistance, and the meat measures about 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C). This is not a rosy roast; cook it well. The liquor should barely tremble. If it has boiled hard, move the pot out of the oven until calm, lower the heat by 25°F (15°C), and add a little reserved cool stock. The flesh will still soften, and the liquor can be strained clear.

5. 5

   Strain the liquor

   Lift the duck with two wide spatulas and settle it breast-side up in the close-fitting terrine. It will be fragile, so support the breast and legs together. Discard the vegetables, neck, and gizzard. Wet a piece of muslin or clean lint-free cotton, wring it out, and use it to line a fine-mesh sieve. Pass the braising liquor through without pressing the solids; pressure sends their particles through the cloth. Measure the liquor and simmer it uncovered until reduced to 3½ cups (840 ml), or add reserved stock to reach that amount if necessary. Taste carefully for salt, remembering that cold dulls seasoning.

6. 6

   Test and set

   Sprinkle the 4 envelopes of gelatin over the ½ cup (120 ml) cool water and leave it for 10 minutes, until fully swollen. Warm the strained Madeira liquor without boiling, then whisk in the bloomed gelatin until no granules remain. Spoon 1 tablespoon onto a saucer chilled in the freezer and wait 5 minutes. It should set clearly and hold when the saucer tilts, while still yielding to a spoon. If it runs, bloom the optional gelatin in its measured water, dissolve it into the warm liquor, and test again. Ça se rattrape. If the liquor begins setting in the saucepan, warm it gently until fluid. Let the aspic cool to lukewarm, then pour it around and over the duck. Set the terrine in a larger bowl of ice water for about 30 minutes, spooning the thickening liquor over any exposed crown until the whole bird carries a complete coat. Refrigerate uncovered until firmly set, about 1 hour, then cover and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

   Do not boil gelatin after adding it. Excess heat weakens the set, and violent bubbling mars the clarity you gained by careful straining.
7. 7

   Degrease and dish

   Just before serving, remove the firm surface fat with the edge of a spoon. Fill a heatproof bowl with the boiling water, warm a clean metal spoon in it, dry the spoon, and pass its back lightly over the remaining greasy film, reheating and drying it as needed. This gives the clean finish intended by the source without pouring water directly over a fragile home-set aspic. Warm and dry a thin spatula, loosen the jelly only where it grips the terrine, then slide two broad spatulas beneath the duck and transfer it to a clean folded linen napkin on an oval platter. If a leg loosens, set it back neatly and mask the join with a spoonful of clear aspic from the terrine. Serve cold with a spoon and fork, letting the tenderness explain the name. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true Rouen duckling can be difficult to find. Ask for a compact young bird around 4 to 4½ pounds (1.8 to 2 kg); a small Pekin duck is the honest home substitute, though its flesh is milder. Avoid a large mature duck because it will not fit the terrine or soften on the same schedule.
• •Use real medium-dry Madeira, not a salted cooking wine. The braise reduces the wine until nothing can hide its quality, but an everyday bottle is entirely sufficient.
• •The close fit of the terrine controls the strength of the aspic. If the vessel is too broad, you must add more stock and gelatin merely to cover the bird, and the duck flavor disappears into packaging.
• •Cold aspic and a heavy, tannic wine quarrel. Pour a dry Vouvray or a cool, light red Burgundy, and bring the dish from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving so the Madeira can speak.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the entire dish the evening before serving. The aspic requires at least 8 hours in the refrigerator, and the Madeira flavor settles more evenly through the duck overnight.
• •The finished duck may be kept covered in its terrine for up to 2 days before serving. Remove the surface fat and transfer it to the napkin-lined platter only at the last moment.
• •Do not freeze it. Freezing damages the aspic's clear, tender set and leaves water around the duck when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)