After the Harvest > Wild Gamebird Festival 2007 recipes

Confit of game bird leg with braised red cabbage, duck liver pate, candied apples, cider and mustard oil. 

Duck Confit

Can be used for rabbit, quail & most game meats. It is good for tougher cuts.

1kg rock salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 tblsp cumin seeds (toasted & ground)

1tblsp fennel seeds (toasted & ground)

1tsp aniseed (toasted & ground)

3 fresh bay leaves

fresh thyme

6 cloves garlic

2 ltrs Rendered fat from a duck, goose or pig. (You should have enough that when melted it will cover the amount of meat you are cooking.)

NB: You can put raw fat through a mincer, then boil in a pot with a little water until it becomes clear. Strain into a heatproof container.

Rub duck legs or quarters or whole quails with salt mixture and leave to sit for a few hours. Wash the salt off and then pat dry.

In a crock-pot or casserole, place the duck and cover with liquid fat. Braise slowly for three hours until the meat drops off the bone. You can store this in airtight jars.

To eat, scoop out some meat, place onto a tray and heat in the oven until the fat melts away, leaving the most succulent meat you’ve ever tasted!

Duck Liver Pate

500g duck livers

100g bacon

100mls port

100mls madeira

100mls brandy

2 roughly chopped onions

3 cloves garlic

fresh thyme

salt & pepper

5 beaten eggs

400g semi melted butter

Sauté duck livers and bacon until brown on the outside but still pink in the middle. Leave to cool.

In a medium pot, sweat onions and garlic then add liquor. Reduce by 75% and leave to cool.

In a blender wizz up livers, liquor and eggs until smooth. Slowly drizzle in melted butter until combined.

Pour into moulds and place in a water bath. Cook in the oven for one hour on 160 degrees C or until it has a firm wobble.

Best made the day before.

Braised Red Cabbage

Half a Red Cabbage finely sliced

2 cups grated apple

2 cups Red Wine

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Cinnamon stick

1 tsp whole cloves

1 cup brown sugar

Place ingredients into a braising dish, covered in a med oven for three hours stirring occasionally, add more liquid if needed.

Candied Apples

2 cups granny smith apples, peeled & diced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider

3 whole cloves

1 tsp lemon juice

Boil cider, sugar, cloves & lemon juice until the mixture starts to go golden, sir in apples and leave to cool.

Recipe supplied courtesy of the High Tide Restaurant, Dunedin