If you're craving gourmet comfort food, this breakfast sandwich is it - spice-rubbed duck legs made into a rich confit, homemade ginger marmalade, eggs, spinach and green onions between English muffins.
Directions for: Duck Confit Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients
Duck Legs1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
1 Tbsp juniper berries
4 bay leaves
4 duck legs, thighs attached, washed and dried
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
Kosher salt
Duck fat or grape seed oil, for cooking
Ginger Marmalade3 oranges, halved
cup sugar
1 small knob ginger
3 whole peppercorns
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Duck ConfitDuck fat or grape seed oil, for cooking
Assembly1 Tbsp vinegar
8 English muffins
8 eggs (free-range are preferable)
Spinach
Green onions, sliced
Salt and cracked black pepper
Directions
Duck Legs1. Using a mortar, pestle or spice grinder, grind together peppercorns, juniper berries, and bay leaves to make a spice rub for the duck.
2. Rub duck legs with salt (salt will be washed off).
3. Coat duck legs liberally with the spice mixture and press a sprig each of rosemary and thyme into the skinless side of each duck leg.
4. Place a cooling rack into a baking sheet and transfer duck legs onto the cooling rack, flesh-side down.
5. Cover duck legs in plastic wrap and place a plate on top to press the legs.
6. Balance something heavy on top of the legs -- a large can or a jug of juice will do.
7. Transfer baking sheet to the fridge and refrigerate the duck overnight.
Ginger Marmalade1. To juice the oranges, press orange halves into a mesh strainer, flesh-side down, until no more juice can be squeezed from the flesh.
2. Remove the orange rinds from the strainer and discard the seeds.
3. Scrape and discard the white pith out of the orange rinds and slice rinds into matchstick-sized strips.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring peels, reserved orange juice, sugar, ginger, peppercorns, and cup of water to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes, until orange peels are tender and sauce reaches a thick syrup consistency. Add more water as needed to prevent the Ginger Marmalade from burning.
6. Remove ginger and peppercorns from the Ginger Marmalade and stir in the juice of a lemon.
7. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
8. Once cooled, Ginger Marmalade may be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for later use.
Duck Confit1. Preheat oven to 275F.
2. Remove duck legs from the fridge and discard the sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
3. Rinse duck legs well and pat dry.
4. Transfer duck legs to an oven-proof baking dish and cover with enough oil or duck fat to submerge the duck.
5. Cover the pan with metal foil and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 225F and continue cooking for 2 hours, or until duck meat flakes easily when squeezed with tongs.
7. If the duck doesnt flake, replace duck leg in the fat and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Assembly1. Once legs have cooled, preheat oven to 350F.
2. Remove duck legs from the oil or fat and peel skin off the meat.
3. Pull duck meat off the bone and set aside.
4. Place the skin on a baking sheet and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy.
5. Remove duck skin from the oven and season with salt; set aside until assembly.
6. To poach the eggs, bring 17 cups of water to a simmer in a deep flat pan or braising dish.
7. Stir in vinegar.
8. While water reaches temperature, start slicing and toasting the English muffins.
9. Spread reserved Ginger Marmalade onto both halves of each English muffin and set aside until assembly.
10. Once the water is simmering, break eggs into the water and continue simmering for 3 to 3 minutes, or until egg whites are opaque.
11. Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from the water.
12. To prepare the English muffins for the eggs, place a few leaves of spinach onto the bottom half of the toasted English muffin; top with the reserved pulled duck meat.
13. Place two eggs per sandwich on top of the pulled duck meat.
14. Season the eggs with salt and cracked black pepper.
15. Drizzle more Ginger Marmalade over the eggs and divide crispy duck skin between the sandwiches.
16. To finish, sprinkle sliced green onions over the duck skin and close the sandwiches to serve.
Tips and Substitutions
Special Equipment: Spice grinder or mortar and pestle, cooling rack, plastic wrap, ovenproof pan, metal foil, mesh strainer, slotted spoon
Duck needs to be marinated and pressed 12 hours before serving. Duck takes about 3 hours to cook.
Leftover Ginger Marmalade will keep for few weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. Jam will keep for a few months if stored and sealed in sanitized jars.
Source and Credits
Courtesy of Steve Ewing of Yolk's Restaurant and Commissary
See more: Bake, Breakfast, Brunch, Comfort Food, Duck, Eggs/Dairy, Herbs