Timbale de Caneton à la Voisin

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Roasting pan fitted with a rack
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Sturdy kitchen shears
• •4-quart (3.8 litre) heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Rimmed tray with wire rack
• •Large bowl for an ice bath
• •1¼-quart (1.2 litre) metal timbale or charlotte mold
• •Small ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the duck rosy

   Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Pat the duck completely dry, then season it inside and out with half the salt and pepper. Set it breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F (190°C) and continue for 25 to 35 minutes, beginning to check early, until the thickest part of the breast reaches 145°F (63°C). Rest it for 8 minutes before carving; the breast should remain rosy because it will be served cold, while the legs and carcass will cook fully in the sauce. For anyone at increased risk from undercooked poultry, roast the breast to 165°F (74°C).

   Do not judge the whole bird by the legs. The source deliberately keeps the duck underdone for tender cold breast meat; the legs belong to the fully simmered carcass reduction.
2. 2

   Lift and chill fillets

   Lift each breast from the warm carcass in one whole fillet, following the breastbone closely with a narrow knife. Remove the skin so no cold, soft layer of fat remains beneath the sauce. Put the breasts on a rack for 15 minutes, then refrigerate them uncovered until thoroughly cold, about 45 minutes; keep their total time at room temperature under 2 hours. Cut the legs and wings away and break the carcass into several pieces with sturdy kitchen shears.

3. 3

   Build salmis reduction

   Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carcass pieces, legs, and wings, then brown them deeply for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the shallots and carrot and cook until gilded at the edges. Pour off excess duck fat but leave the browned fond in the pan. Add the wine, scrape that fond loose, and boil until the wine has reduced to about ½ cup (120 ml). Add 2 cups (475 ml / 475 g) of the stock and the bouquet garni, then simmer gently for 45 minutes. Strain into a clean saucepan, discard the solids, skim away every trace of surface fat, and reduce the liquid to 1 cup (240 ml). Season with some of the remaining salt and pepper. The reduction should taste concentrated but balanced, since the aspic will soften it.

4. 4

   Set aspic and sauce

   Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it for 10 minutes to bloom. Warm the remaining 2 cups (475 ml / 475 g) stock until just below a simmer, season it slightly more firmly than you would a hot broth, then remove it from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Do not boil it. Stir ½ cup (120 ml) of this aspic into the salmis reduction, creating a chaud-froid, a sauce prepared warm and served set cold. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the salmis sauce for the mold base. Set the rest over an ice bath and stir until it reaches nappe, the point where it coats a spoon thickly without setting into ridges. If it becomes lumpy or firm, warm the bowl briefly over hot water and stir it smooth. If it runs straight off the spoon, return it to the ice bath. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Coat duck slices

   Cut the cold breast fillets across the grain on a slight bias into slices about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Dip each slice into the salmis sauce, coating both sides, then lift it with a fork and let the excess drain before placing it on a chilled parchment-lined tray. Do not stack the pieces. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, until the coating is firm to a light touch. If the sauce puddles beneath the duck, scrape it back into the bowl, cool it for another minute over ice, and coat the bare surfaces again.

6. 6

   Set the sauce base

   Rinse a 1¼-quart (1.2 litre) metal timbale or charlotte mold with very cold water, drain it without wiping, and refrigerate it for 10 minutes. Pour the reserved ½ cup (120 ml) salmis sauce into the bottom, tilting the mold only enough to level it. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until completely firm. This base becomes the glossy crown when the timbale is unmolded, so set the mold on a level shelf.

7. 7

   Build layers patiently

   Cool the clear aspic until it is barely fluid and feels cool, not warm. If it has set, stand its container briefly in warm water and stir gently until liquid. Arrange a close layer of coated duck slices over the firm sauce base, overlapping them slightly and alternating them with truffle slices. Spoon over only enough aspic to fill the spaces and cover the surface by about ⅛ inch (3 mm), then refrigerate for 12 to 15 minutes, until firm. Repeat with the remaining duck and truffle, setting every thin aspic layer before the next row goes on. Finish with a thicker layer of aspic, about ⅜ inch (1 cm). If a duck slice floats, the aspic is too warm or the layer beneath is too soft; hold the slice down with a chilled spoon, refrigerate for 5 minutes, then add the remaining aspic. Do not pour ahead. The separate, fully set layers are the dish.

8. 8

   Chill and unmold

   Cover the mold once its surface has set and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. To unmold, dip only the outside of the mold into hot water for 5 to 8 seconds, wipe it dry, place a chilled platter over it, and invert in one confident movement. If it clings, wrap the mold in a hot damp towel for another 5 seconds; do not run a knife around the aspic. If the timbale feels soft, return it to the refrigerator in its mold for another hour. Cut it with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. Serve cold with dressed bitter leaves and bread alongside. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true Rouen duckling is difficult to find away from Normandy. A small Pekin duck is the honest home equivalent: somewhat fattier and milder, but well suited once you roast the breast rosy and build the salmis from its own carcass.
• •Use stock that is clear, low in salt, and pleasant enough to drink by itself. Powdered gelatin supplies the setting strength once provided by a standing pot of naturally gelatinous aspic; it cannot repair dull stock.
• •Fresh black truffle is splendid in season, but a good whole preserved truffle is entirely proper here. Drain it thoroughly before slicing. The classical pantry solved this problem long ago, and an honest preserved truffle is better than a tired fresh one.
• •Season both sauce and aspic a shade more firmly than seems necessary while warm. Cold quiets salt, wine, and pepper, and timid seasoning leaves a magnificent-looking timbale with very little voice.
• •Keep the finished timbale refrigerated at or below 40°F (4°C) and serve it within 2 days. A dry white Burgundy or a light, fragrant red works with the cold duck, truffle, and wine reduction.

Advance Preparation

• •Assemble the timbale the evening before serving and chill it in the mold for 8 to 24 hours. Unmold only when the chilled serving platter is ready.
• •The roasted breasts, strained salmis reduction, and clear aspic can be prepared earlier the same day and held separately in the refrigerator. Rewarm the two liquids gently, then cool them to the proper coating consistency before assembly.
• •Do not freeze the timbale. Gelatin releases water after thawing, clouding the aspic and loosening the clean layers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 440g)