We're still eating confit de canard — slow-cooked, long-preserved duck. I made it nearly two months ago, and it's been curing in duck fat since then. The duck legs and thighs had been slow cooked in the same fat. The meat is falling off the bones, and it's delicious.
I've kept the cooked duck pieces down in the cold pantry off our utility room. It hasn't been as cold in there as it might have been if we'd had more freezing temperatures outdoors more frequently, but still. To enhance the lunch experience, we had well-seasoned white coco beans and a couple of poached Toulouse sausages.
Beans are of course good food — good for your heart! And so is, they say, duck and duck fat. It's the French paradox. Eat what you want, within reason, and stay in good health. Always have some red wine alongside the food. (My blood pressure, as tested by my doctor last week, was 120 over 70.)
Inspite of all attemps at cooking something different, I was amazed that the indivdual cottage pies with peas went down so well along with much praise! Steak hachee parmentiere?
ReplyDeleteI just saw a show on the French Voyages TV channel where Jamie Oliver made a shepherd's pie by lining an oven-proof bowl with a layer of herbs and mashed potato, then filling that with lamb stew (lots of vegetables, little liquid), and finally putting a layer of the mashed potato on top, with some grated cheese and bread crumbs over all. It looked amazing and I plan to make hachis parmentier that way soon.
DeleteSavor the duck. Because of the avian flu, all production in the sw is stopped for 6 months, so it'll be a while before it comes back on the market.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that, Ellen. Maybe I should go buy a few filets or magrets and put them in the freezer. By the way, happy birthday to you.
DeleteGood that your blood pressure is in check. Keep it that way!
ReplyDeleteÀ la Chandeleur, l'hiver finit ou reprend rigueur.
Here, in Virginia, temperatures are predicted to be mostly positive, even at night, for the foreseeable future! I don't mind, but what happened to winter after we've hed that huge snow storm?
I think winter is over, if we can believe that proverbe. It's supposed to turn even warmer here tomorrow.
DeleteCHM, it's Spring here already with just a small taste of winter unlike what happened to you.
ReplyDeleteThese viruses are unsettling...
oh nooo, sorry to hear about the duck production, Ellen....I am going to be in Biarritz the month of May & was looking forward to my favorite food
ReplyDeleteI'm going to Intermarché this morning to see if they still have any magrets de canard for sale. They had them on Monday, but I didn't buy any, since we were having confit de canard for lunch. I hope to get three or four magrets to put in the freezer for the duckless days ahead.
DeleteThe duck looks very good. Your blood pressure numbers are impressive. Wish I could stay the same. French country life agrees with your overall health!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that my blood pressure was so low, after all the end-of-year holiday cooking and eating. I guess the daily vineyard walks are having a positive effect.
DeleteWell, I got 6 filets de canard (smaller than magrets) for not much more than 25 euros @ 12€/kg. They will be perfect for grilling when the weather turns nice in March or April, and one filet will be plenty to feed two people.
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