Brunch = Duck Leg Confit + Fried Egg + Summer Vegetable Salad

"Being the only member of my family born outside of Pennsylvania and Ohio meant that I had no real connection to the stories of where my ancestors actually came from. My father never spoke much of it. After doing extensive research, I discovered roots back to Alsace and Lyon. After leaving Alsace for religious and economic reasons, my ancestors settled in the Delaware Valley as brickmakers, laborers, and farmers. In honor of them. I'm going French today." -Corey


 Serves 4 
what you need:
Duck legs, 4 ea. (your local butcher can fabricate them for you)
Kosher Salt, 3 Tbs.
Black Pepper, ground fresh, 1 tsp.
Thyme leaves, 1 tsp. 

Flat leaf parsley, chopped fine, 1 tsp.

Cloves, toasted, whole, 4 each

Mustard seed, toasted, whole, 1/2 tsp.
Rosemary, chopped fine, 1 tsp.
Garlic cloves, 3 ea.
Duck fat, 3 cups

Fresh eggs, 4 each

Sungold tomatoes, halved, 16 each

Variety of fingerling potatoes, 12 each
Summer squash, sliced in half and again in 1/4" slices, 1 large

Frisée lettuce, picked to small size, 2 cups

Petite croutons, 1/2 cup

Maldon salt, to taste

for the vinaigrette:

Sherry vinegar, 4 Tbs.

Extra virgin olive oil, 12 Tbs.

Brown mustard, 1 Tbs.

Mustard seeds, toasted, 1 tsp.

Shallots, minced, 1 Tbs.

Orange zest, from 1 orange

Salt and Pepper, to taste
how you make it:
1. Get your legs fabricated from your local butcher. Mix the Kosher salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, cloves, mustard seeds, rosemary, and garlic together in a bowl and allow to sit for 3 hours. Season both sides of the duck legs with the mixture. Place in a shallow pan, cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
2. Remove the duck legs, and rinse them gently, and pat them dry, reserving the cloves and the garlic.
3. Over a low heat, bring the duck fat to a simmer, add the legs, garlic, and cloves. Pour the mixture over the duck legs in a pan that just fits the legs and allows the fat to cover them.


4. Cover the pan cook in the oven at 250 degrees for at least 3 hours until fork tender. Remove the cloves and garlic (you can keep the garlic, warm it, and use as a spread for grilled bread if you like) and let the legs rest in the fat for 1 hour.

5. Make the vinaigrette by blending the sherry vinegar and spices together and slowly whisking in the olive oil until completely emulsified. Set aside.

6. Blanche the potatoes whole and un-peeled ("en chamis") until just tender in salted water and cool. (do not overcook). Peel and slice into 1/2 inch thick coins.
7. Gently sauté the squash in a small amount of duck fat until just tender. Remove and marinade with a small amount of the sherry vinaigrette.

8. When the potatoes are cool, mix them with a small amount of sherry mustard vinaigrette and allow to marinade for at least 15 minutes. Marinate the tomatoes as well.
9. When ready to serve, place a small amount of the fat in a pan over medium-high heat and crisp the skin of the legs, then place them in a 325 degree oven to heat through. 

10. To serve, place a few potatoes on the plate, dispersed with some of the Frisée, squash and the tomatoes. 

11. Fry the egg to over easy and season with salt and pepper. Place the egg on one side of the plate on top of the vegetables and place the warm duck leg on the other side.

12. Garnish the dish with petite croutons and drizzle some of the remaining sherry mustard vinaigrette over the plate. Finish with Maldon salt and serve with grilled country bread or without.

note from renee: "Saturated fats, such as the duck fat used in duck confit, have gotten a bad rap for many years. Bring in the French Paradox; in France, duck and goose fats are highly used, yet the heart attack and heart disease rates are noticeably lower. Duck fat is rich in Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids, which are believed to decrease inflammation, heart disease and many types of cancer. The difference between duck fat versus chicken or turkey fat, is that it contains more linoleic acid, which makes it more like olive oil. "

note from brian/winemaker:
"I suggest an aged Amarone. The fat in the duck fits well with the full body of the wine."