Three home-made charcuterie recipes: duck rillettes, duck prosciuitto, and salmon rillettes
Charcuterie doesn’t have to be complicated. Susan Jung cooks up three easy-to-make, delicious dishes
I enjoy making charcuterie and my dream home would have a smoke house and a curing room, so I could make all the dried sausages and smoked meats I want. As it is, I stick to the easy stuff: rillette, pate, meat terrines and fresh sausages (though the pig casings can be hard to find).
Duck rillette (pictured, top of plate)
Rillette was originally made as a way to preserve meat - it was cooked, mixed with fat and then sealed under a layer of fat. For duck rillette, I use only the legs because the texture of their meat is softer and smoother than that of the breast. The best ducks for this rillette and the breast prosciutto are those that have been raised for foie gras, because they're much fattier.
Rendered duck fat is expensive but can be reused several times for rillette.
4 whole duck legs, about 500 grams each
Kosher salt, to sprinkle
Rendered duck fat, to cover
10 whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves, torn into several pieces
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut into several pieces
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Rinse the duck legs and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the legs lightly but evenly with kosher salt then mix with the peppercorns, juniper berries, thyme, bay leaves and garlic. Cover with cling-film and leave in the fridge overnight. Transfer the legs and the seasonings to a heavy pan (preferably enamelled cast iron) and add enough duck fat to completely submerge the ingredients. Place over a low-medium flame and heat until the fat is hot but not simmering. Partially cover the pan, turn the flame to very low and cook for about six hours, or until the meat is very soft. Don't let the fat simmer or it will fry the meat rather than poach it. Turn off the heat and leave at room temperature until the duck is cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin (or fry the skin in some of the fat, to make duck-skin crackling). Pound the meat with a pestle until it's in long shreds. Mix in some of the melted duck fat to make a spreadable mixture (if you stint on the fat, the rillette won't taste as good). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pack the mixture into ramekins, smooth out the top and pour a layer of melted fat to completely cover the surface of the rillette. Chill in the fridge until the fat hardens then cover with cling-film and aluminium foil. This keeps for several weeks in the fridge. The fat should be strained, put in clean jars and refrigerated.
Duck prosciutto
This easy recipe comes from the book Charcuterie, by Michael Ruhlman.
2 duck breasts, about 450 grams each
Kosher salt - enough to completely cover the duck
Ground white pepper
Rinse the duck breasts and pat them dry with paper towels. Pour some salt in a non-reactive shallow bowl large enough to hold the breasts without touching. Put the breasts skin-side up in the bowl and cover completely with salt, firmly packing it around the duck. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the breasts, rinse them thoroughly and pat dry. Sprinkle with ground white pepper then wrap each breast in a layer of food-grade cheesecloth.
Ruhlman instructs his readers to tie the breasts with string and hang them in a cool, humid place, but I put them on a wire rack (so the air can circulate) and place them in the fridge, turning them over twice a day. Let the breast cure for about a week; when ready, the meat will be firm throughout and won't feel squishy when squeezed. Remove the cheesecloth and wrap in cling-film. To serve, cut the prosciutto across the grain into very thin pieces.
Salmon rillette (pictured, bottom of plate)
This recipe comes from Bouchon, a book by Thomas Keller.
230 grams fresh centre-cut salmon fillet
15ml brandy or Pernod
215 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
40 grams minced shallot
10 grams creme fraiche
125 grams unsliced smoked salmon
15ml fresh lemon juice
10ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Minced chive, to garnish (don't use Chinese chive as the flavour is too strong)
Put 150 grams of unsalted butter in a small saucepan and heat until it simmers. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it undisturbed for five minutes. Use a shallow spoon to skim the foam from the top then pour the clear fat into a bowl, leaving the milk solids in the pan. Set this clarified butter aside. Melt 10 grams of butter in a pan, add the shallot, season with salt and pepper and cook over a low flame until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a small bowl, beat 55 grams of butter until soft, then stir in the creme fraiche. Cut the smoked salmon into 5mm cubes.
Cut off the skin and any dark parts of the fresh salmon fillet. Rub the brandy or Pernod over all over the flesh, then sprinkle with white pepper and salt. Cover with cling-film and refrigerate for an hour. Heat water in a tiered steamer. When it starts boiling, unwrap the salmon and place it on the steamer rack, cover the vessel and lower the flame so the water is gently simmering. Cook for five minutes, or until the fish is medium-rare. Place in a bowl and use a fork to break the salmon into large chunks. Add the smoked salmon, shallot, lemon juice, olive oil and egg yolk, then season to taste with salt and white pepper. Combine thoroughly then gently mix in the butter/creme fraiche. Pack the mixture into ramekins or jars, smooth out the top and chill for 30 minutes. Cover with a 5mm layer of melted clarified butter. Chill for up to a week. Serve on thin slices of toast and sprinkle with minced chives.
Styling: Corner Kitchen Cooking School
