Pâté de canard en croûte – after Julia Child

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 1 duck(s), fresh
• salt and pepper
• Allspice
• Thyme
• 2 tbsp cognac
• 2 tbsp port wine
• 2 truffles, canned (optional)
• 3 tbsp oil
• ½ cup onion(s), diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ cup port wine, Madeira or cognac
• 850 g minced meat, mixed from pork and veal
• 4 eggs, 2 for the filling, 2 for the dough
• 1 garlic clove(s) (optional)
• 550 g flour
• 60 g vegetable fat
• 120 g butter
• ¼ tsp sugar
• 60 ml water, cold
• 1 egg(s) for brushing

Instructions

Working time approx. 3 hours; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours

Boneless, stuffed duck in a pastry crust

The recipe for boneless, stuffed duck became famous primarily through the film “Julie and Julia.” I haven’t found a German translation of the recipe anywhere yet, so I’ve decided to try it out. The recipe is divided into three parts: the duck itself, the stuffing, and the pastry. The recipe should be read at least once before preparation. It’s best to prepare the pastry a day in advance, and deboning the duck is also a bit of a task – plan on about 45 minutes the first time. Bone the duck (there are various instructions online and also at Chefkoch.de), trim the meat from the thickest part of the breast and thighs, and cut it into 1-centimeter cubes. Return the cubes to the duck, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, as well as a pinch of allspice, and drizzle with cognac and port. If using, add the truffles and their juices. Fold the duck up, place it in a bowl, and chill. For the filling, cook half a cup of onions slowly in the butter for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened and translucent (but not brown). Transfer to a bowl. Add half a cup of port to the pan and reduce by half, then add to the onions. Add all the other ingredients (ground beef, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, a generous pinch of allspice, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and a crushed garlic clove) and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture takes on a lighter consistency and is thoroughly blended. Brown a small spoonful and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Add the duck meat and truffle and chill. For the pastry, quickly chop the flour, vegetable shortening and butter, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and 2 eggs with a knife until the fats are the size of oatmeal. Don’t overdo this step, as the fat will be further blended later. Add the water and quickly knead with one hand. Keep your fingers closed and slightly cupped. Moisten with additional water if there are any unkneaded scraps. Then add these to the finished dough. Form the dough into a ball. The dough should just hold together and be pliable, but not sticky. Then place the dough on a floured surface. Using the heel of your hand, not the palm of your hand (which will be too warm), quickly press the dough onto the surface away from your body in 15-centimeter-long “streaks.” This is the final mixing of the fat and flour (also called fraisage). Use a spatula to bring the dough back into a mass and form it into a ball again. Lightly dust with flour and wrap in wax paper. Place the dough in the freezer for one hour or in the refrigerator for two hours (preferably overnight). Spread the duck out, skin-side down. Place the stuffing in the center and shape it into a loaf. Fold the duck skin over the loaf and sew it closed with a needle and kitchen string. Wrap the kitchen string 3 to 4 times around the duck’s body to give it a cylindrical shape. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan until just smoking. Brown the duck slowly on all sides. Remove and let cool. The strings should stay attached to the duck to hold its shape while baking. Now roll out the dough: Because the dough has a high butter content, it must be rolled out as quickly as possible to prevent it from becoming soft. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. When the dough is hard, gently “hit” it with a rolling pin. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and shape it into an oval shape, about 3 millimeters thick. Place it on baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the duck on the oval dough, breast-side up. Fold the dough around the duck. Roll out the remaining dough to a thickness of 3 millimeters and cut out an oval shape to fit the duck. Brush the corners of the bottom dough with beaten egg and press the top oval onto it. Glue or press the corners together to seal the package. To decorate, cut out small circles (3 centimeters in diameter) from the leftover dough and score fan-shaped lines. Brush the dough with beaten egg. Make a small hole in the center of the dough and insert baking paper to allow steam to escape. Insert a meat thermometer (up to the stuffing). Bake the duck in the center of the oven at 175 degrees Celsius for two hours (or until the thermometer reads about 80 degrees Celsius). Then remove the duck from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for a few hours. The crust will become soft if the duck is refrigerated too quickly. To serve: Carefully lift the top crust. The duck will have shrunk during baking, so it will easily lift out of the bottom crust. Remove the outer threads. Then remove the threads on the underside as well. Either carve the duck as is or return it to the crust first and then carve it.