Girl Hunter

by Georgia Pellegrini

  So will the food you eat for lunch after a morning hunt like this. In New Orleans, that is often a potato that has been sitting in a boiling pot of shellfish with whole vegetables, lemons, peppers, and whole cloves of garlic, soaking it all into its pores until steaming and ripe to eat. That is what we drive toward, through the tired towns of Saint Bernard Parish, the littered streets, the roads anchored into Cypress Swamp, and the waist-high line of gray on the buildings—the scar of Katrina.

  We pass it all, en route to ripe boiled potatoes and po’boys, anticipating the duck preparation, and perhaps once more the girl with two scarlet nails, and the man with shiny-tasseled shoes. In New Orleans it is all part of the same beautiful, rambling meal.

  Apple Roast Gadwall

  Serves 4

  I don’t usually roast wild ducks whole because the legs can be muscular and are best braised, and the breast meat is always best rare. But sometimes, a roasted whole bird is called for, because there is nothing more picturesque at the dinner table. The bird to use is one that has fed more in grain fields, and less on fish. So in addition to considering the size of the duck (smaller is usually more tender), consider where it was harvested. And if you aren’t sure, cut off a piece of the skin and render the fat to determine whether it is fishy. This will signal whether it is worth keeping the skin on and roasting the duck whole. And as with any whole roasted bird, it is best to brine it first. Be sure to save the carcass for duck stock (see page 212)!

  1 (2-pound) gadwall, brined (page 219)

  1 apple, cored and sliced

  2 sprigs fresh rosemary

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  Salt and pepper

  Vermouth or white wine (optional), for deglazing

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional), for gravy

  1 cup duck stock (page 212) (optional), for gravy

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Inspect the duck to see if there are any remaining pinfeathers; if so, remove them. Rinse the duck with water. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Lightly stuff the duck with the sprigs of rosemary and the apple slices.

  2. Slather the duck inside and out with the olive oil. Generously sprinkle all sides of the duck with salt and pepper. Lay, breast up, on a roast rack in a roasting pan. Place on the middle rack of the oven. Immediately lower the heat to 425°F. Roast for 30 minutes (see Note), or until the internal temperature reads 135°F on an instant thermometer. The juices will run red, and the meat will be quite red. You want the meat to be rare, not raw. The more the meat is cooked beyond the rare stage, the more gamey it will taste.

  3. Remove the duck from the oven and place it on a separate plate or cutting board, breast side down, to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover it with tinfoil while it rests.

  4. If there are any juices left in the bottom of the roasting pan, place the pan on a stove-top burner and deglaze with vermouth or white wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the roasting pan. Let simmer for about 2 minutes, then spoon it over the carved duck before serving. If you want to make the deglazed juices into a full gravy, whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour until it bubbles, 1 minute, then add 1 cup of duck stock and let it reduce to the desired consistency.

  Note: The cooking time will vary, depending on the size and variety of duck. Teal, for example, will only require about 15 minutes. See the temperature guide on page 238.

  Duck Cassoulet

  Serves 6 to 8

  My favorite thing about this dish is that the meal is cooked and served in the same skillet. It is a baked stew of sorts, in the French style, and makes use of all of the duck parts. The recipe suggests duck leg confit, but the gizzards, hearts, and other offal can be confited and used here as well. Be sure not to add much if any salt to this recipe, as the confit already has plenty of salt from the cure.

  1 head garlic

  6 tablespoons olive oil

  2 cups cipollini or pearl onions

  Salt and pepper

  1/2 cup diced bacon

  1 cup diced shallots

  2 heaping cups kale that has been cut into bite-size pieces

  4 cups duck stock (page 212)

  1 1/2 cups cooked white cannellini beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

  3 cups duck confit, leg and skin pulled from bone (page 136)

  2 cups panko or other plain bread crumbs

  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drizzle the head of garlic with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then wrap it in tinfoil. Roast until the cloves are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and squeeze the cloves from the garlic skin. Mash with a spoon on a cutting board and set aside.

  2. In a skillet or ovenproof pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and brown the onions, about 3 minutes. Season them with salt and pepper, turn them, and place the pan in the oven. Cook until browned and tender, about 30 minutes, tossing frequently, then remove from the oven. If using cipollini, cut them into quarters; if using pearl onions, leave them whole. Set aside.

  3. In a 10-inch skillet (see Note), render the bacon over medium-low heat until just crispy. (A smaller skillet will not be large enough to hold the entire contents of the recipe.)

  4. Add the shallots and let sweat.

  5. Add the kale and let wilt.

  6. Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

  7. Add garlic puree, beans, and cipollini and simmer for 15 minutes.

  8. Add the duck meat and simmer for 30 minutes.

  9. In a separate sauté pan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the bread crumbs, stirring constantly. Add the rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Remove the bread crumbs from the heat and continue to stir for a few minutes until the pan cools down.

  10. Garnish the cassoulet with the bread crumbs and place the whole thing in the 350°F oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

  11. Remove from the oven and serve immediately at tableside from the skillet.

  Tip for peeling onions: Soak them in a bowl of warm water. When you’re ready to peel, use a small knife and cut a slit down the side, then peel the skin back around the onion in one layer.

  Note: This dish can be cooked in a casserole or other pan that can be transferred to the stove. A skillet works best, however, because the flavors aren’t lost in the transfer and it can be served at tableside from the skillet.

  Coot Legs in Sherry

  Serves 4

  This recipe was introduced to me by the queen of cuisine in the Village, and everyone’s favorite great-aunt. She pointed out a version to me one afternoon, in a thin pink church cookbook on her kitchen shelves that are home to hundreds of cookbooks, many from Southern churches. This is a good recipe for tough bird legs. I like to use coot legs, rather than some of the smaller duck legs, because there is a substantial amount of meat on them. The key is to keep the liquid level low so that you are braising the legs, not submerging and boiling them.

  12 to 16 coot legs

  Salt and pepper

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1 large onion, diced

  6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

  2 sprigs fresh thyme

  1 cup Amontillado sherry, or other sweet to medium-sweet variety

  2 cups duck stock (page 212)

  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  1/2 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce

  3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

  1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Season both sides of the legs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot over high heat. Brown the duck legs in the olive oil, about 1 minute per side.

  2. Remove the duck legs from the pot and set on a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and let brown. Add the thyme and deglaze with the sherry.

  3. Return the duck legs to the pot and let the sherry reduce by half.

  4. Add the duck stock, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Add the mushrooms and stir.

  5
. Cover the mixture with parchment paper or tinfoil and then with a lid.

  6. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. Serve with wild rice, Israeli couscous, or pasta.

  Also try: other small game bird legs

  Duck, Coot, or Goose Confit

  Serves 4

  Confit is traditionally a salt cure for a piece of meat, usually goose or duck, followed by poaching it in its own fat. Once cured, cooked, and cooled, the meat can be removed from the bone and stored in a glass jar in the fat for up to six months. It is ideal to confit legs with the skin on, but with wild ducks you can’t always be picky. If you don’t have skin, simply use extra fat during cooking and turn the meat more often. You can keep it simple or play with flavorings, as long as you have the fat and the salt. Either way, the meat shreds from the bone in a buttery kind of way.

  4 mallard or speckled goose legs (about 1 pound), or the equivalent in smaller duck legs, or gizzards, hearts, and necks

  4 cloves garlic, crushed

  1 tablespoon kosher salt

  Zest of 1 orange

  Zest of 1 lemon

  1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and stem discarded

  2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stem discarded

  1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

  1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

  1 piece star anise, crushed (optional)

  1 teaspoon juniper berries (optional)

  6 tablespoons duck fat

  1. Rinse the duck and pat dry. If using a leg, expose the leg bone with a paring knife

  2. Make the confit salt by roughly chopping the herbs and combining all of the ingredients, except the duck and duck fat, in a small bowl.

  3. Place in a baking dish or ovenproof skillet and rub on all sides with the salt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

  4. Preheat the oven to 300°F and remove the duck from the refrigerator.

  5. Rinse the legs or duck parts very well under running water for several minutes. Wipe out the baking dish and return the duck legs to it.

  6. Scoop the duck fat into the baking dish and cover with tinfoil.

  7. Place in the oven and roast for 2 to 3 hours. If there is skin on the legs, remove the foil for the last 30 minutes; if not, turn the meat over halfway through cooking. It is ready when the meat is very tender and has a shredded quality when pulled with a fork.

  8. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve the meat hot or eat cold over a salad. It is also excellent in a terrine or a cassoulet.

  Duck Terrine

  About 12 servings

  A terrine is a piece of architecture that takes several days of work and a bit of precooking. It requires a rectangular ceramic terrine mold and consists of layers of ingredients pressed and held together with cold fat. It may seem daunting, but it is worth every bit of work, and is an impressive appetizer, not just in how it tastes, but how it looks. If you want to start simply, you can leave out the inlay and add a bit more confit to the recipe to fill out the terrine. You can also experiment with the inlay—try a medley of pickled vegetables or rehydrated dried morels.

  Inlay: 3 tablespoons Armagnac

  1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves steeped in 2 cups water until strong but not bitter

  1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  1/2 cup dried figs (about 16), stems and base cut off so that both ends are flat

  8 to 10 thin slices pancetta

  Filling: 1 cup duck offal confit, including necks, gizzards, hearts, and livers (page 136), at room temperature

  2 cups duck leg confit (page 136), at room temperature

  1 cup braised hog belly, picked apart (page 176)

  1/2 cup small-diced bacon

  1/2 cup toasted and salted Sicilian pistachios

  1 cup warm duck fat

  1 teaspoon finely ground allspice

  1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black peppercorns

  1/2 nutmeg seed, grated

  For the Inlay: 1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

  2. Combine the tea, Armagnac, and salt. Add the dried figs and let sit overnight.

  3. Lay out the pancetta in a line on a sheet of plastic wrap. The slices should overlap.

  4. Drain the figs and arrange in a layer on top of the pancetta, so that the flat sides are snugly aligned.

  5. Roll into a long rod, sealing the pancetta around the figs, using the plastic to help keep it tight. The pancetta fat will stay together most easily if it is at room temperature.

  For the Filling: 1. Combine the two duck confits with the hog belly and bacon in a large bowl. Add the pistachios, duck fat, allspice, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well with a wooden spoon or by hand.

  2. Pour a few drops of water into the bottom of the terrine mold. Line it lengthwise with plastic wrap so the plastic drapes over both ends of the mold. Fill the mold with water to help press the plastic into the contours of the mold, and press with your fingers. Pour out the water and pat the inside dry with a paper towel.

  3. Press half the meat mixture into the mold.

  4. Unroll the inlay and press gently along the center of the terrine. You may have to trim the inlay to fit the mold.

  5. Gently place more of the meat mixture on each side of the inlay, making sure the inlay does not shift off-center. Add more meat on top and press down gently until the top of the meat is covered and smooth and compact.

  6. Cover the terrine and place in a larger pan. Pour water into the pan halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake at 300°F for about 2 hours.

  7. Remove the terrine from the hot water bath and let it cool slightly. Press down the terrine. If possible, weight it down with a box of kosher salt wrapped in plastic and tied with more plastic to the terrine. Or use a similar heavy object that will fit into the opening of the mold. Chill overnight in refrigerator.

  8. When ready to serve, and while it is still very cold, use a serrated knife and gently cut the terrine into slices 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices out on a cutting board and let come to room temperature. Garnish with micro greens, and sea salt if needed, and serve with crusty bread.

  Goose or Duck Prosciutto

  Serves 8 to 10

  Curing meat was widespread among historical civilizations because it prevented food waste and guaranteed a food supply in the case of a poor harvest. The French and Italians were the first to raise this skill to an art form. Local craftsmen formed guilds and produced a range of cooked or salted dried meats, which varied from region to region. The only raw product they were allowed to sell was un-rendered lard. These preservation methods ensured that meats would have a longer shelf life, and this is done even in more modern times. Goose and duck prosciutto is simple to make at home, and is a perfect way to store the meat when you don’t have time to cook it and you just can’t fit another thing in your freezer. All that it requires is salt, cheesecloth, and some twine, plus a cool room with good relative humidity. The flavor is gamier and richer than hog prosciutto, and the color is a deeper red. But it still has that signature chewy, delicate, salty flavor. It is better to use larger breasts, because the smaller ones will cure and dry too intensely to have a delicate flavor and texture. You can keep the skin on and play with the seasonings—add rosemary, thyme, or garlic to make it more interesting. Store it in the refrigerator for one month or more and serve it sliced thinly with pears, crackers, cheese, or just by itself.

  2 cups kosher salt

  2 speckled goose or duck breasts, skin on or off (about 1 pound)

  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

  1. Pour half of the salt into a nonreactive container that will hold the breasts snugly without their touching. Place the breasts on the salt, skin side up if the skin is still on. Pour the remaining salt on top and pack it well into the container with your hands.

  2. Cover the container with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

  3. Remove the breasts from the salt, rinse them well unde
r running water, and pat them dry. They should be a deeper red and feel firm to the touch.

  4. Dust the breasts with pepper and wrap them individually in cheesecloth. Tie one end with a piece of string, which you can use to hang the breasts.

  5. Hang in a relatively humid (60 to 80 percent humidity), cool (45° to 65°F) place for 5 to 7 days (sometimes longer for larger breasts), until the flesh is stiff but not hard throughout. Remove from the cheesecloth and slice thinly to serve. These will keep refrigerated for about 1 month or so, well wrapped to prevent drying.

  One does not hunt in order to kill, on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted.

  —JOSÉ ORTEGA Y GASSET

  9

  All of the Jewels That Go Unnoticed in the World

  The next morning, Peter and I ride through Cajun country on the same highways anchored in the Cypress Swamps, and into southeast Arkansas, back to the Village, where his old Lebanese Aunt Evvy is sure to be making kibbe or stretching Arabic bread and laying it on a griddle to bubble and crisp; and it is the place where his Lebanese uncle Roger Mancini is sure to be saying something wise or profound while whittling something in front of the fire at the deer camp.

  The road to southeast Arkansas is full of curious names. As we drive the contours of Cajun country and enter into deep Delta country, we pass places called Darlove, Hollandale, Tallulah, Silver City, and Midnight. There is Pigalicious Barbecue, which only serves hamburgers; and Belzoni—a town in Mississippi with a museum devoted to catfish. On narrow roads with narrow houses, men rake leaves into mountains and hawks balance on telephone lines. Old and slow Crown Victorias squat in the right lane, and we pass a painted bus celebrating the anniversary of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.