Roast Duck Feast (Potatoes Au Gratin and Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Leeks)

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Published 2022-01-10
My sister and bro in law came to visit and I thought that a roast duck feast would be the perfect meal to make for the occasion. This isn’t a dinner that you make every weekend. It’s a labor of love and it shows. I went for sides of creamy potatoes au gratin and earthy brussel sprouts with caramelized leek, rounded out by a rich cherry wine sauce to top it all off.

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RECIPE:

DUCK:
5-6lb or 2.5kg whole duck
Salt

Thaw duck if needed & pull out innards. Remove excess skin around neck & butt. Truss legs as shown @1:04. Cut off excess string. Cut off wings if desired to make stock with later.

Use sharp knife to puncture skin as shown @1:42 to allow fat to render as the meat cooks. Season generously with salt. Allow to dry brine in fridge for 1hr-90 minutes.

Bring very large pot of water to simmer. Pot should be large enough to submerge duck under water.

Once simmering, add duck to water. After 15 min of boiling, transfer to wire rack on a roasting pan & roast in preheated 450F/230C oven for 45 minutes. Lower temp to 300F/150C & continue to cook 30-60 more minutes.


POTATOES AU GRATIN
1500g or 4 large russet potatoes, peeled
100g or 1/2c medium sharp cheddar, shredded
100g or 1/2c gruyere, shredded
50g or 1/2c parmesan, finely shredded or grated
5g or 2tsp cornstarch
Salt
Pepper
75g or 1/3c chicken stock
125g or 1/2c heavy cream.

Thinly slice potatoes using mandoline. Set aside.
Shred cheeses and add to a medium bowl with cornstarch. Toss to coat. Layer as follows in an 8”x8” baking pan - each potato layer should be perpendicular to the last:
Layer 1: layer potatoes as shown @3:33. Potatoes should overlap about 30%. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 2: potatoes, top with ⅕ of the grated cheese mix.
Layer 3: potatoes, season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 4: potatoes, Top with ⅕ of the grated cheese mix.
Layer 5: potatoes, Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 6: layer potatoes perpendicular to layer 5. Top with ⅕ of the grated cheese mix.
Layer 7: layer potatoes perpendicular to layer 6. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Layer 8 - top layer potatoes. Mix chicken stock and cream in a small container and pour mix evenly over the top of the layered potatoes. Finish by topping with the remaining grated cheeses, making sure to fully cover the potatoes.

Cover with foil. bake in preheated 325F/160C oven for 70-90min. After 45 minutes of baking remove foil. Continue baking for remaining 45 minutes. Use a cake tester or thin knife to check that potatoes are fully cooked. It’s done when you don’t feel much resistance. Cover with foil until ready to serve.

CHERRY WINE SAUCE
500g/mL or 3 glasses dry red wine
250g/mL chicken stock
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs thyme
3-4 bay leaves
150g or about 3/4c sweet dark cherries, unsweetened (frozen is fine)
1 42g container of poultry demi glace
1 packet powdered gelatin, dissolved in 60mL/1/4c water

Add ingredients to small sauce pan and reduce over med-high heat for about 25 minutes or until liquid is 80-90% evaporated.

Once well reduced, strain off liquid, pressing down to extract liquid. Discard solids. To liquid, add demi glace & dissolved gelatin. Stir & reduce over med-high heat for 5 minutes or until bubbles are glossy & large. Once there, add pinch of salt if needed & stir to dissolve.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS W CARAMELIZED LEEK
1 leek, cut into ½”/1.25cm slices, rinsed well
Salt
30g/2Tbsp butter
Neutral oil (canola, avocado, grapeseed, light olive)
650-700g or 1 quart brussel sprouts, halved
Black pepper
3-4 sprigs thyme (remove stems, chop leaves)

Preheat large skillet over med-high. Add long drizzle of oil followed by leeks, strong pinch of salt, & butter. Caramelize for 3-4 minutes. When softened and beginning to take on color, remove from pan, wipe out and add another squeeze of oil followed by brussel sprouts. Arrange sprouts cut side down & cover with lid or foil to cook and steam for 3-4min. Toss brussels, add a pinch of salt. Add another squeeze of oil if necessary. Cover and cook for 3-4 more minutes or until just tender. Add cooked leeks, lots of black pepper, and thyme. Stir to combine.

#roastduck #potatoesaugratin #brusselsprouts

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All Comments (21)
  • @JoshChristiane
    Every SINGLE recipe you get every aspect of cooking right, because you do your research and aren't lazy. Despite me being hyper-critical of cooking/cooks after working in a michelin restaurant, I still seldom find a mistake in your cooking. You really are the best YouTube chef, don't ever stop making these recipes, I love them!
  • More of this please! There are not enough food youtubers showing complete dishes.... most of the time it's only one component. Great work Brian!
  • The delivery, humor and concise nature of your videos is just fantastic. S tier content Bri.
  • @The_Novice
    I'm always amazed at the amount of work you put into these. Appreciate what you do. Would love to see you cook sturgeon someday!
  • @Ash_Wen-li
    This was uploaded at the exact same time Gordon Ramsay uploaded his Duck Stir Fry. I see that you're going for the throne
  • @kyrastuart1920
    Ducks are super cute, but also super tasty. I had a curried duck at a Thai restaurant once that I still remember a decade later. This looks amazing, and I love that you showed leeks some love!
  • @jayena
    Absolutely incredible! My mouth is watering! Not enough beautiful duck recipes out there in my opinion
  • @frogmccuish
    Yum! This will remind me of going out to dinner with my late Mom. I always got duck breast with cherry sauce. I will make for my birthday in a couple weeks. Thanks ... I will love it...Perfect timing. 😉
  • Always been intimidated by duck. Thanks for sharing! Looks simple enough
  • @Gopic21
    love this channel so much, would definitely buy a brian cookbook if that ever became a thing!
  • @zencomeseasy602
    I don't even know what to say anymore. This channel is just unbelievable. I'm quite comfortable in the kitchen, but you continually inspire me to try things I never would have on my own. Thank you for all you do.
  • @attorneyrobert
    I had Duck L'Orange as a teenager when we visited France, and never forgot it. Such rich flavors. I think this winter I will try this recipe- thank you!
  • @tiarawillis5677
    I have been loving the two videos a week. You make every fancy restaurant dish so accessible to cook. The details are just tremendous.
  • @alvinlee140
    Thank you for showing this roast duck with side dishes.
  • @jennlizzy2019
    Great tips for timing the whole feast so everything comes together at the end.
  • Great as always! The let’s eat this thing dance is my favorite part🤩
  • @TheBeefTrain
    It's so awesome to watch a pro chef work. I'm tired of tik tok "chefs" screaming at me while they cram a pizza roll into a pop tart.
  • @baileys6346
    I’m impressed with the efficiency of cooking in this video
  • @Krayvune
    French canadian here : Gratin, you nailed it the second time.