Frisée Salad with Duck Leg Confit and Cranberry Gastrique
By Matthew FairmanPublished on October 18, 2022
Time
55 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Cranberry Gastrique
½ cup plus 1⁄2 teaspoon red wine vinegar, divided½ cup (2 ounces) frozen cranberries ⅓ cup sugar ¼ cup ruby port 2 fresh thyme sprigs ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepperSalad
1 shallot, minced2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons melted duck fat 1 head frisée (6 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks4 crisped duck confit legs (see note)Before You Begin
You can substitute 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for the duck fat in the salad if you prefer. You can substitute ⅛ teaspoon table salt for the kosher salt. You can purchase duck confit legs or use our recipe for Duck Leg Confit.
Instructions
- Combine ½ cup vinegar, cranberries, sugar, port, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Mash cranberries with potato masher and cook until mixture is thickened and reduced to about ¾ cup, 4 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining ½ teaspoon vinegar. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Sauce will thicken to syrupy consistency as it cools. Discard thyme sprigs. (Cooled gastrique can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
- Combine shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil and duck fat until thoroughly incorporated. Add frisée, fennel, and apple to bowl with vinaigrette and toss until evenly coated with dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide salad and duck legs evenly among serving plates. Serve with gastrique.
for the cranberry gastrique
for the salad
Time
55 minutes, plus 1 hour coolingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Cranberry Gastrique
Salad
Ingredients
Cranberry Gastrique
Salad
Ingredients
Cranberry Gastrique
Salad
Why This Recipe Works
A crispy-skinned leg of duck confit alongside bitter greens tossed in a tangy vinaigrette is classic French bistro fare for good reason. The bright, fresh salad perfectly complements the luxurious cured duck, balancing its salty richness against vibrant red wine vinegar and punchy Dijon. Starting the duck legs in a cold skillet allowed time for their ample fat to render and for the skin to crisp beautifully before getting too dark. Covering the skillet not only contained any splattering grease but also helped ensure that the legs were heated through. Whisking some of the flavorful rendered duck fat into the vinaigrette lent it a silkiness and savory complexity. The gorgeous, ruby-colored cranberry gastrique added a sweet-sour element that not only balanced the bitterness of the frisée but also paired exceptionally well with the meaty, slow-cooked duck.
Before You Begin
You can substitute 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for the duck fat in the salad if you prefer. You can substitute ⅛ teaspoon table salt for the kosher salt. You can purchase duck confit legs or use our recipe for Duck Leg Confit.
Instructions
- Combine ½ cup vinegar, cranberries, sugar, port, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Mash cranberries with potato masher and cook until mixture is thickened and reduced to about ¾ cup, 4 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining ½ teaspoon vinegar. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Sauce will thicken to syrupy consistency as it cools. Discard thyme sprigs. (Cooled gastrique can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
- Combine shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil and duck fat until thoroughly incorporated. Add frisée, fennel, and apple to bowl with vinaigrette and toss until evenly coated with dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide salad and duck legs evenly among serving plates. Serve with gastrique.
for the cranberry gastrique
for the salad
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