Braised Duck(Or Mussels) W. Red Curry
Submitted by angela1970
Bone-in duck seared in rendered fat, then braised in red curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice over jasmine rice. Rich Thai-inspired comfort with a mussels variation included.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minWhere French technique meets Thai flavor, this is what happens, and it’s spectacular.
Two whole ducks get broken down, seared hard in rendered duck fat, then simmered in a fiery, fragrant red curry sauce built on caramelized shallots, ginger, garlic, and a generous hit of curry paste.
The sauce gets pureed and strained into something silky, then finished with coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh lime juice for that signature Thai balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy.
Ladled over steaming jasmine rice with cilantro, diced lime, and scallions scattered on top, this is a bowl that hits every single note.
Variations
- Red Curry Mussels: Swap the duck for 4 pounds of fresh mussels, use vegetable oil instead of duck fat, and fish stock in place of duck stock. Simmer the mussels in the curry sauce until they pop open, shell them, and stir back into the sauce.
Chef’s Tips
- Save the duck carcasses for stock and the skin for rendering. Homemade duck fat and stock elevate this dish from great to extraordinary.
- Brown the shallots low and slow for a full 15 minutes. That deep caramelization is the backbone of the sauce.
- Blend and strain the sauce. It sounds fussy, but the velvety, smooth result is what separates this from a chunky weeknight curry.
Ingredients
white, 1/2 green part only trimmed thinly sliced along diagonal *
Directions
Bone ducks and remove the skin.
(You can ask a butcher to do this, reserving the carcass for stock makingand skin for rendering.)
Cut breasts in half, then into about 3 pieces across the width.
Chop legs and thighs into about 4 pieces each.
(Remember: You want to start with generous pieces of meat, since they will shrink when cooked.
Don’t worry about cleaning the tendons, since they will soften with long cooking.)
Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
Heat rendered fat in a large, heavy bottomed Dutch oven over high heat.
Brown duck on all sides, then transfer meat to a platter.
Reduce heat to medium low and cook shallots until well browned, about 15 minutes.
Add garlic and ginger, increase heat to medium high and cook about a minute, then add curry paste.
Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
Return duck meat to pot along with brown duck stock and cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, about 40 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a platter and reserve in a warm place.
Purée sauce in a blender and strain back into pot.
Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by one third.
Stir in fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice, and remove from heat.
Stir duck back into warm sauce.
Ladle stew over Jasmine Rice. Garnish with remaining ingredients and serve immediately. Variation red curry with mussels: 4 pounds fresh mussels, washed and debearded. Prepare above recipe, substituting vegetable oil instead of duck fat, and fish stock in place of duck stock. After cooking the sauce, add the mussels along with the stock and simmer mussels until shells open. After transferring to platter, remove mussels from shells and stir into warm sauce.
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