Midwinter. For most of human history, a challenging time to stay fed. In this era of the seasonless supermarket, you might eat your way through winter without changing your diet at all, but that would not be wise. A stroll through the (happily just reopened in my town) farmers' market will remind you of the warming foods the body thrives on now: storage vegetables, like carrots, parsnips, celery root, cabbage, kale collards, leeks, onions, winter squash, yams, potatoes and such. Seasonal fruit: apples and pears from storage, citrus, and this is the best time to eat dried fruit (resist the siren call of tropical and Southern hemisphere fruit, its too cooling!). And now is the time to dig deep into the freezer and pantry and eat up the last of summer's harvest you squirreled away, cook up grains and beans, and enjoy more of that winter staple, meat. Sustainable meat, I hope. Eat as many parts of the animal as you can manage, including organs and bones. Yes, bones. Easiest to manage in stock, see below.
Cooking styles for winter should be long--roast, stew, braise, bake. Longer cooking brings out nutrients and qualities in food that attune our bodies to the energy of winter. Soup, stew, soup again. And this is the best time of year to deep fry. Say what? Yes, deep fry. We can handle the warming qualities of deep fried food right now (and who doesn't love the occasional dose of fried food?). The big thing is which fat to do it in. The best: saturated. As in lard, bacon grease, duck fat or ghee. The more saturated fats can handle the high temperature you need for a crispy deep fry and not get damaged, minimizing the oxidative stress incurred by eating fried foods. There really aren't good vegetarian alternatives for this. Use peanut oil if you must, or try refined coconut or organic canola oil.
Chinese medicine teaches that winter is the time to focus inward and replenish our kidney energy. I discussed foods and nutritional strategies for doing this in a previous post. Meanwhile, if you're still wondering what to eat, for a challenge check out the following. East Bay dwellers can find whole duck, butchered to your specifications, at Magnani Poultry on Hopkins in Berkeley.
Duck Three Ways
Preparing a duck is a wonderful way to get comfortable working with whole animals. From one or two ducks you can have two great meals for two or a feast for four, plus stock and home rendered fat for cooking. Take the time to scout out a source of sustainably raised duck in your area, and ask your butcher to cut it up for you, saving the fat separately.
Serves 2 to 4
Duck Breast with Balsamic Pomegranate Sauce
2 duck breasts
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup pomegranate juice
Rub the breasts all over with sea salt and sprinkle with black pepper. If your butcher hasn’t done so already, score the skin side of the breasts with a sharp knife, cutting through the skin but not into the flesh, about 1 inch apart all over.
In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and pomegranate juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until reduced by two thirds and beginning to thicken, 15-20 minutes. Watch carefully in the last few minutes so that the sauce does not burn. Set aside.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place the breasts, skin side down, in the skillet and begin cooking. After 5 minutes, pour off most of the hot fat and reserve for another use (as in braising the duck legs, see below), then continue cooking the breasts until deeply browned on the skin side, about 8-10 minutes. Turn the breasts over and sauté in the hot fat for another few minutes more. You’ll be able to tell when it is done when the meat feels firm when pressed with your finger. Remove from the pan and allow to rest on a plate for a few minutes. To serve, slice into 1/4 inch slices on the diagonal, and drizzle with the sauce. I like to serve additional sauce on the side for dipping, or you can serve the rest as a dip for seasonal fruit for dessert.
Braised Duck Legs with White Beans
Duck legs can be tough unless cooked slowly. Combining them with beans stretches their relatively small amount of meat, making a substantial dish for two or three people.
1 cup flageolet or cannellini beans
1 6 inch strip of kombu
2 tablespoons ghee, lard, olive oil or reserved duck fat, see above
2 duck legs
1 small onion, sliced
2 carrots or parsnips, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 bay leaves
Sea salt
Pepper
2 cups Poultry Stock, vegetable stock, or white wine
Chopped parsley for garnish
Soak the beans overnight in water. In the morning, drain the water, place the beans in a medium saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with cool water. Bring to a boil, add the kombu, cover, turn the heat down to low, and allow to simmer.
In large skillet with a lid, heat the fat over medium heat. Brown the duck legs in the hot fat on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, and add the onion, sautéing it until it begins to turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the carrots or parsnips, celery, and bay leaves, and sauté for a few minutes more, until the vegetables begin to release their fragrance. Add the browned duck legs to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Add the stock or wine. Drain the beans and add them to the pot, then cover and simmer together on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat and beans are very tender. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.
Poultry Stock
Stock making can be as simple as simmering bones in water with a splash of vinegar. For those who prefer more precision, the following yields a very nourishing, gelatinous stock. This recipe calls for a single duck or chicken carcass, but feel free to save bones in your freezer until you have enough for a larger batch. Meat markets and specialty markets often carry chicken feet by the pound.
1 roasted chicken carcass, meat removed, or the bones from preparing whole duck, as above
Giblets from the bird, if you have them, except the liver, see Note
1/2 pound chicken feet, if available
2 tablespoons apple cider or other mild vinegar
Place the carcass, giblets and chicken feet in a crock pot or large soup pot and cover with filtered water. Add the vinegar and let stand for at least 30 minutes. If you are using a crock pot, turn it to high and allow the stock to come to a simmer. Then turn the heat down to low and let cook, overnight to 24 hours. If you are using the stovetop, bring the stock to a boil, cover, and simmer overnight to 24 hours. Turn off the heat and allow the stock to cool. Drain and discard or compost the bones. Stock will keep for several days in the fridge and several months if frozen. Freezing some of your stock in ice cube trays, then storing these in a bag (be sure to label it!) in the freezer will give you a handy source of nourishing flavor to add to many dishes.
Note: Poultry liver will add a strong taste to the stock. If you have the liver, try sautéing it up with onions, chopping it finely and enjoy it on buttered toast for a cook’s vitamin-rich treat.
Duck Fat
If you’ve gotten a packet of duck fat along with your duck, you can render it at home. Duck fat is especially wonderful used in roasting potatoes, or use it in the duck dishes above.
Simply chop finely as much duck skin and fat as you can find, by hand or in a food processor. Put the fat in a pot with a heavy bottom and simmer on medium heat until the fat renders and the skin browns. Be wary of burning the fat. When the fat is clear and the bits of skin begin to become brown and crisp, take the pot off the heat, cool and strain. The fat will keep in the refrigerator for several months and will freeze indefinitely. The browned bits of skin are delicious eaten as is, or as a salad garnish with a bit of salt.
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