- 4
Ingredients
- 4 FIRST COURSE SERVINGS
- • 4 pieces of duck leg confit
- • 1 lb bacon, diced in small pieces
- • 1 lb ventrèche, diced in large pieces
- • 4 boudin blanc
- • 4 knockwurst
- • 2 bags sauerkraut rinsed and drained
- • 3 medium white onions, sliced thin
- • 10 juniper berries, crushed
- • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- • 4 bay leaves
- • 3 cups dark beer (Chef Scarduzio recommends a Belgian beer such as Leffe)
- • 4 tablespoons duck fat
- • 1/3 cup veal demi-glace
- • 4 tablespoons butter (plus additional for greasing a sheet of parchment or waxed paper)
- • Salt and pepper
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a heavy bottomed rondeau or oven-proof casserole, sauté the bacon, ventrèche and onions in about 2 tablespoons of duck fat, trying not to pick up too much color.
3. To the onions add the sauerkraut, juniper berries, bay leaves, thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir all of the ingredients in the pan to combine and heat through. Add the beer and cover with parchment or waxed paper buttered on one side (butter side down). Place in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until all the liquid is about gone.
4. Add about 2 tablespoons of duck fat to a sauté pan and cook the duck leg confit skin side down until crisp and brown over medium heat. Remove to a baking sheet skin side up. In the same sauté pan, brown the sausages and add to the baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven at 300 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Heat the demi glace in a sauce pan and add about 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Swirl the pan constantly to incorporate both ingredients until the butter is just melted. Place a quantity of the sauerkraut mixture in the center of each plate bracketed on each side with one boudin blanc and one knockwurst.
6. Spoon a little of the demi glace/butter emulsion over and around the sauerkraut. Remove the thigh and leg bones from the confit leaving the meat in one piece and place skin side up over the top of the sauerkraut and serve.