Duck Confit with Stewed White Beans and Bourbon Mustard

Yields
6 servings

from Chef Alex Harrell of Sylvain, New Orleans, LA

Duck confit

1 cup salt

Zest from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chili flakes

10 bay leaves, crushed

2 tablespoons thyme, dried

2 tablespoons pepper

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sugar

6 duck legs

1½ quarts rendered duck fat

Stewed white beans (recipe follows)

Bourbon mustard (recipe follows)

Sprouts for garnish, optional

Stewed White Beans

1 pound dried white beans

1 ounce rendered duck or bacon fat

1 cup yellow onion, diced small

½ cup celery, diced small

4 garlic cloves, sliced

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 quarts chicken stock

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Bourbon mustard

1 cup bourbon

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 cup dijon mustard

Duck Confit

Make duck cure by mixing together first 8 ingredients.
Season duck legs well with duck cure and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse duck legs well and set in a small baking dish, covering with rendered duck fat (legs should be completely submerged in fat). Roast in oven until tender, without coloring—lower the oven temperature if browning—about 1 hour.
Before serving, carefully brown duck legs, skin side down, in a large skillet until crispy.
To serve, scoop about 1 cup stewed white beans into center of each plate. Carefully top with a crisp skinned duck leg. Drizzle bourbon mustard lightly off the end of a spoon over the duck leg and on plate. Garnish with sprouts or small salad for height and color.

Stewed Beans

Soak white beans overnight in clean, cool water; rinse.
In a large saucepot, heat rendered fat over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, and chili flakes and cook 5 minutes.
Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer. Cook, stirring often, until beans begin to break down and become creamy, about 1 hour. Note: You may need to add water or stock as beans cook. Stir often to avoid scorching.

Bourbon Mustard

Add bourbon and both sugars to a stainless steel pot. Reduce mixture by 1/3 over low heat, until slightly syrupy, being careful not to scorch or ignite the bourbon. Whisk in mustard and let cool.
Yields: 1 cup

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