Duck

Name: Duck
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 quart chicken stock, homemade (page 240) or store-bought; 4 tablespoons canola oil; 1/2 pound chicken livers; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 stalk celery, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 jalapeño chiles, finely diced; 1 yellow bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (see page 250); 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (see page 250); 1 cup Arborio rice; 1 cup cooked wild rice; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 1/4 cup pecans, toasted (see page 250) and chopped; 4 (8-ounce) Muscovy duck breasts, extra fat trimmed off; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; Bourbon Sauce (page 136); 2 tablespoons canola oil; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons, chilled, cut into pieces; 1 large carrot, diced; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 stalk celery, diced; 1 leek, white and light green parts, sliced and rinsed well; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bourbon; 1 quart chicken stock, homemade (page 240) or store-bought; 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped for garnish; (makes about 1 1/2 cups)

December 14, 2011

Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish of white rice cooked with chopped chicken livers. The liver darkens, or “dirties,” the rice and infuses it with its mild yet distinctive taste. My version is classically flavored but prepared in a not-so-traditional manner: I use Arborio rice, cook it as I would a risotto, and fold in cooked wild rice as one of the last steps so that its nutty flavor and chewy crunch run throughout the dish. I think of this as a Louisiana-style dish, and the southern flavors of deep bourbon and sweet, crunchy pecans are fitting accomplices to the rich duck and aromatic rice.

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