Boeuf and Bun

Sweet Potato Latke with red Confit, Maple Truffle Aioli and Herb Oil

Serves 4-8

Duck Confit:

Ingredients:
2 duck legs
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves roughly chopped garlic
2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups duck fat to cover*
* Substitute option for duck fat is a neutral oil like vegetable/canola

Directions:
Cover duck legs in salt, black pepper, thyme sprigs and crushed garlic.
Place duck in a single layer into an oven safe tray.
Refrigerate overnight (minimum of 2 hours).
Remove from fridge and wash off seasoning. Pat dry with paper towel.
Place duck back in oven-safe container, cover completely with duck fat (or neutral oil like vegetable/canola).
Cover tightly with 3 layers of aluminum foil.
Cook covered in the oven at 220 degrees until fork tender; 4-6 hours.
Wait until it’s cool enough to handle and separate the duck meat from bones/skin. Shred duck meat to the preferred size.

Sweet Potato Latke:

Ingredients:
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1 small onion thinly sliced or grated
1 scallion thinly sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon flour or potato starch
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
1 egg
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:
Place all ingredients except oil in a bowl and mix well.
Heat 1 inch of frying oil in a skillet on medium heat. Spoon in sweet potato mixture, spread evenly until desired size.
Cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Transfer latkes to a cooling rack or paper towel.

Maple Truffle Aioli:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1 teaspoon chopped truffles (optional)
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together until homogeneous.
Store in fridge in a glass jar or squeeze bottle.

To Plate:
Place latke in the center of a plate.
Pile preferred amount of warm pulled duck confit on latke.
Squeeze maple truffle aioli on top.
Garnish with parsley/herbs/microgreens/red chili/herb oil of your choice.

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Abe’s Corner

Veggie Frites

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Veggies –
2 eggplants peeled
2 zucchinis unpeeled
8 portobello mushrooms
oil for frying

Tempura Batter –
1 cup tempura flour
1/2 cup seltzer with
several ice cubes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt

Tzatziki Sauce
12 oz. container Tofutti non-dairy sour cream or non-dairy yogurt
2 French cucumbers, grated, which creates a juice
splash of white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
fresh herbs – 2 oz. fresh dill, 1 oz. mint, pinch salt and pepper
dash mustard powder
dash fennel
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Veggies
Prepare the vegetables by cutting off the ends of the eggplants and zucchinis and cut into 2 inch batons. Scrape out the gills under cap of the portobello mushrooms and cut into 4 pieces.

Tempura Batter
Combine 1 cup of tempura flour with seasonings, add 1/2 cup of seltzer water and a few ice cubes. Mix well and chill the batter.

Tzatziki Sauce
Combine the non-dairy sour cream or non-dairy yogurt (preferable), juice of 2 grated French cucumbers, (reserve some of the cucumber pieces for the sauce), splash of white wine (if available), lemon juice, fresh dill, fresh mint, salt, pepper, dash of mustard powder and fennel.
Mix well and set aside.
Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 350 degrees. Mix to coat vegetables with the batter and fry at 350 degrees until golden brown and crispy. Drain and season. Serve with Tzatziki on the side and enjoy!

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Mozzarella

Crème brûlée Mini Doughnuts

Makes 18-22 doughnuts

Ingredients:
Crème Brûlée Pastry Cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
2 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Doughnuts
1 cup milk
7 grams dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar, for caramelizing tops

Directions:

Crème Brulee
In a medium saucepan heat about 2/3 of the milk with the vanilla seeds and its scraping pod over medium heat.
In a separate bowl place egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar, and add the remaining 1/3 of the milk and whisk until smooth.
When the milk just starts to boil, ladle / pour a little of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture about a ¼ of a cup at a time, whisking while adding the milk, until the mixture is homogeneous. Pour everything back into the pot.
Continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and strain it into a container. Cover with plastic wrap, the cover should touch the surface of the pastry cream. Let cool and keep cool until ready to use.

Doughnuts
Heat milk in the microwave, until lukewarm (2 minutes). Pour into a standing mixer bowl with a dough hook. Add yeast and mix. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Whisk in granulated sugar, butter, egg and salt. Add flour. Beat at medium-high until the dough forms a ball and cleans sides and bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Change to dough hook and starting the mixer on low speed, mix the dough 2 – 3 minutes.
Brush a medium bowl with oil. Line a large pan with parchment. Brush lightly with oil.
Scrape dough from the mixer bowl to a greased bowl. Lightly grease the top of the dough and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about an hour. Or cover with plastic wrap directly over the dough, cover the bowl with another plastic sheet and leave in the fridge overnight.
Roll out dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Using a 2.75 inch round cutter, cut into 20-24 rounds. Transfer to a prepared sheet. Cover with the same damp towel and let stand until the donuts are large and double in size, about 45 minutes.
Pour oil into pot until it reaches the top on the sides. Place a deep fryer thermometer clamp on side. Heat over medium flame until the temperature reaches 325 F. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a temperature of 325 F during cooking. Fry donuts, 4 at a time, turning halfway, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool on paper towels.
When the donuts are completely cooled, make a hole in the side of the donuts.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip or a bismark tip if you have one. Holding the donut in one hand, put the tip into the hole and gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the donut. When you feel the sides of the donut expand slightly, withdraw the tip. Repeat with remaining donuts.

Caramel Glaze
Place sugar in a small, heavy pot, moisten it with a tablespoon of water. Let it simmer over very low flame until it reaches a light honey hue. Turn off the heat immediately, the caramel will continue to darken even more. Let the caramel cool slightly, about a minute. Carefully dip each donut part in the caramel, and hold the sides of the donut. * The caramel is very hot, so pay attention! Let the excess caramel drip, and place it on a rack, with the caramel side facing up, and continue with the rest of the donuts. They are ready to serve after the caramel glaze has hardened.

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MEAT

Duck Croquette with a Sweet Potato Puree, Baby Zucchini and Arugula Leaves

Makes 20 4-inch rolls

Ingredients:
Reduced Beef Stock – Demi Glace
1 lb. leek roughly chopped
1 lb. onion roughly chopped
1 lb. carrot roughly chopped
1 lb. celery root roughly chopped
1 lb. parsley root roughly chopped
½ cup canola oil
½ bottle of wine (or 4 or 5 cups)
2.2 lb beef bones
5 tablespoons tomato paste

Duck
6 duck legs
3 lb. duck fat
½ cup honey
zest of one orange
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko crumbs
canola oil for frying

Sweet Potato Puree
2 large peeled sweet potatoes roughly chopped
1 white onion roughly chopped
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cardamom pods
chicken stock or water to cover

Directions:
Reduced Beef Stock – Demi-Glace
Roast the bones in the oven at 350 F until golden brown.
Add bones and all root vegetables to large heavy pot. Sear over high heat in canola oil until vegetables have a nice caramelized color. Add tomato paste. On a lower flame, cook vegetables and tomato paste for 5 minutes.
Add wine. Stir to make sure nothing sticks to bottom of the pot, cook 5 minutes.
Tip: A wooden spoon helps to keep things from sticking to the bottom.
Add water to the top of the pot. Let it cook for 12 hours, as water gets reduced, add more water.
After 12 hours, strain everything and you will be left with a thick black sauce called demi-glace.

Duck
Place duck legs on a deep sheet pan. Cover with duck fat.
Place in the oven at 185 F for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, pick the meat from the bones.
Mix the meat with ½ cup of the Demi Glace and honey (half cup honey for 2 lb duck legs), add zest of 1 orange.
Shape the duck mixture into a 24 inch long cylinder on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate wrapped roll for one and a half hours.
Once cold, take it out of the fridge, and carefully remove the plastic wrap. Because it is cold it’ll keep its shape and you can slice it into 4 inch pieces.
Dip in beaten egg and roll in panko crumbs, then dip in egg again and panko again.
Fry in 360 F canola oil for 3 minutes (fully submerged in oil).
Drain on paper towel to cool.

Sweet Potato Puree
Sear sweet potatoes and onion in a pan in canola oil until a caramelized color.
Smash cardamom inside the pot.
Cover it with chicken stock (or water).
Cook for a half hour. Let all the juices reduce.
Process in food processor until a very smooth puree is reached.
Tip: First try to process only the sweet potato, if you have liquid left, add it and it will make it smoother.

To Plate:
Heat the demi glace sauce. Spoon sweet potato puree onto plate, approximately ¼ cup.
Drip 2 tablespoons demi glace sauce on the plate, garnish with arugula leaves and baby zucchini.
Place the duck on top.

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