SAUTEED BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH MELTED FOIE GRAS AND CHAMPAGNE-POACHED BLACK TRUFFLE

SAUTEED BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH MELTED FOIE GRAS AND CHAMPAGNE-POACHED BLACK TRUFFLE
by Roger Souvereyns

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Snowy white endive is so common these days, it is easy to forget that it originates from Belgium. The small Benelux country is also home to Roger Souvereyns, whose elegant restaurant offers sophisticated cuisine in a pastoral country setting. This recipe evokes the Gascon tradition of eating foie gras raw, although in this dish the heat of the freshly sauteed endive and the poached truffle actually melts the thin slices of liver.

YIELD: 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS

Poached Truffle
Combine all of the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
4 fresh black truffles of equal size, about 1 ounce each
1 cup dry Champagne
1 cup beef consomme (see page 324)
1 bay leaf
4 drops high0quality 100-year-old balsamic vinegar
Pinch black pepper, freshly ground

Belgian Endive
Heat the butter and olive oil in a saute pan. Add the endive and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sugar, and lightly caramelize the endive for about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Add the julienned truffle and let macerate for about 10 seconds.
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 Belgian endives, cut into thin strips
Coarse salt
Pinch black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 ounce black truffle, cut into julienne

Foie Gras
1/2 pound foie gras, sliced on the bias, as thinly as possible, not more than 1/8-inch thick

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Garnish
Allspice, freshly grated

Service and Garnish
Spoon the hot endive into the middle of four serving plates. Place a poached truffle in the center of each. Top the endive with the thin slices of raw foie gras. The heat will gently melt the liver. Sprinkle each plate with freshly ground allspice.

FoieReos (aka – foie gras Oreos or Foieos)

FOIEREOS
by Michel Richard

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Buy foie gras mousse
Buy terrine of foie gras

Michel Richard’s original inspiration for this recipe was economic. He wanted a way to use foie gras scraps left over from other preparations. Richard’s extensive experience as a pastry chef led him to create this fanciful, savory cookie modeled after the Oreo. This cookie has the distinct flavor and the texture of traditional English shortbread. The bite-sized cookies can be served alone as hors d’oeuvres or as a garnish for other preparations of foie gras.

YIELD: 16-20 COOKIES

Cookie
8 ounces foie gras scraps, mousse, or terrine
4 ounces pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Sea salt
Place the foie gras scraps, mousse, or terrine in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the pastry flour, baking powder, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Process until the ingredients are combined, being careful not to over mix. The dough should be soft. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. On a floured surface, gently roll out the soft dough to 1/4-inch round cookie cutter. Reroll the scraps once only. Carefully place the cookies on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Score the top with the back of a samll paring knife to decorate as shown. Brush lightly with the beaten egg yolks and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on a rack. Spread the foie gras mousse on the bottom of half of the cookies and form sandwiches with the remaining cookies.

Filling
3 to 5 ounces foie gras mousse

Special Equipment
1 and 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

Chef Notes
The cookies are best if baked fresh. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week and in the freezer for up to one month. Fill the cookies just before serving.

Buy fresh foie gras
Buy foie gras mousse
Buy terrine of foie gras

Duck Fat Profiterol with Foie Gras Mousse and Duck Fat Salted Caramel

DUCK FAT PROFITEROL with FOIE GRAS MOUSSE and DUCK FAT SALTED CARAMEL
by Hudson Valley Chef of Product Development, Jenny Chamberlain

Purchase Foie Gras Mousse
Purchase Rendered Duck Fat

cooked profiterole

DUCK FAT PROFITEROLES

Ingredients – Purchase Foie Gras MoussePurchase Rendered Duck Fat
Water ½ cup
Rendered Duck Fat 3 tbsp
Salt ¼ tsp
All-purpose flour ½ cup
Whole Eggs 2
Nutmeg Pinch

Method
PLACE WATER, DUCK FAT, SALT IN A MEDIUM SIZE POT AND BRING TO A BOIL ON THE STOVE. LOWER THE HEAT, ADD THE FLOUR AND STIR WITH A WOODEN SPOON UNTIL COMPLETELY INCORPORATED AND THE DOUGH IS COMING AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF THE POT. CUT THE HEAT AND ALLOW TO COOL.

ADD THE NUTMEG, THEN MIX IN THE EGGS ONE AT A TIME. DO NOT ADD THE NEXT EGG UNTIL THE PREVIOUS IS FULLY INCORPORATED. YOU CAN DO THIS BY HAND OR WITH A STAND MIXER EQUIPPED WITH THE PADDLE ATTACHMENT. SPOON THE BATTER INTO A PIPING BAG FITTED WITH A STAR TIP.

LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER OR USE A NON-STICK TRAY PIPE OUT 1” DIAMETER CIRCLES A MINIMUM OF AN INCH APART AS THEY WILL EXPAND WHILE BAKING. WET YOUR FINGER AND SMOOTH OUT ANY PEAKS FROM PIPING TO AVOID BURNT TIPS.

COOK IN A 375 *F OVEN FOR 25-30 MINUTES, UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON THE OUTSIDE AND DRY ON THE INSIDE. ALLOW THE PROFITEROLS TO COOL. SLICE IN HALF AND FILL WITH HUDSON VALLEY MOUSSE OF DUCK FOIE GRAS OR BLOC WITH TRUFFLE.

TOP WITH DUCK FAT SALTED CARAMEL.

DUCK FAT SALTED CARAMEL

Ingredients
WATER 3/4 cup
CORN SYRUP 1 TBSP
SUGAR ¾ CUP
SALT 1 TSP
DUCK FAT 1 TBSP
HEAVY CREAM, HOT- ½ CUP

Method
HAVE YOUR HEAVY CREAM HEATED AND READY IN A SEPARATE POT. ADD WATER, SUGAR AND CORN SYRUP TO A MED SIZE SAUCE POT. PLACE ON STOVE OVER MED HEAT, STIR UNTIL DISSOLVED. DO NOT WALK AWAY. COOK UNTIL AMBER IN COLOR, IMMEDIATELY TAKE OFF HEAT.

adding indredients to pan for caramel

cooked caramel

foie prof duck fat caramel color fix-1

ADD WARM HEAVY CREAM IN SMALL INCREMENTS AT FIRST TO AVOID BUBBLING OVER. WHISK IN THE DUCK FAT AND SEASON WITH SALT.

SPOON OVER TOP OF THE DUCK FAT PROFITEROLES, STUFFED WITH HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS MOUSSE OR BLOC WITH TRUFFLE.

EAT, NAP. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Smoked Magret Duck Breast with Black Pepper Spaetzle, Shaved Brussels, Roasted Pumpkin, Black Garlic Broth – #FoieTheWin – November 2015

SMOKED MAGRET DUCK BREAST with BLACK PEPPER SPAETZLE, SHAVED BRUSSELS, ROASTED PUMPKIN, BLACK GARLIC BROTH
by Chef Tony Adams

Purchase Applewood Smoked Magret Breast Online
– Tony Adams on Instagram @tonyy13
Boarding House of Nantucket Website
For more information on #FoieTheWin: Click Here.

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Tony Adams is currently the Chef de Cuisine under Chef Seth Raynor at The Boarding House on Nantucket, one of the signature spots on Nantucket Island. The Boarding House’s menu is usually seafood heavy, but look forward to the cooler times in the “shoulder seasons” when some dishes may be a bit more rich than the lighter fare of the warmer months. This dish is a perfect example of the dish Chef Tony waits for all summer. “This dish is a mashup of international influences that make a dish that will warm you up in the cooler months, especially when you are stuck on an island with little to no ethnic food available!”

Chef Tony Adams was awarded the Michael Ginor Hudson Valley Foie Gras Scholarship from The James Beard Foundation in 2001. Coincidence? Yes! Maybe? Who knows?!

SERVING SIZE: FOUR

INGREDIENTS

BROTH
Veal stock, defatted as best as possible, and 1 gallon when COLD
Ginger, 3” knob
Onion, halved
Star Anise x 5 cloves
Cinnamon sticks x 3 ea.
Black Garlic x 2 heads
Fish Sauce, Golden Boy Brand or similar x 1 cup + more to taste
Lime juice x 2 limes

SPAETZLE
Egg Whites, 12 ea.
Milk x 12 oz.
Flour, AP x 7 oz.
Black Pepper x 2 T. or 2 large pinches
Garlic cloves, microplaned into fine paste x 1 ea. large
Kosher salt as needed

APPLEWOOD SMOKED HUDSON VALLEY MAGRET DUCK BREAST – Purchase Applewood Smoked Magret Breast Online
Two magret breasts, sealed in small cryovac bags individually, held in immersion circulator at least 3 hours at 125° F.
Pumpkin, Long Island Cheese or Sugar variety, peeled, and cubed into 1” cubes
Brussels sprouts, shaved thin on mandolin x 1 cup
Canola oil, as needed
Watermelon Radish, julienne
Scallion, sliced thin for garnish

For the broth:
Char the ginger and onion on a grill or in a dry pan until blackened significantly on all sides. Place in pot. Use a torch to char toast the star anise and cinnamon sticks, and then add those to pot as well. Cut on head of black garlic and add to the pot with all of the stock, and the egg whites. Stir to incorporate well, and place pot on heat. Bring up slowly to a small simmer, stirring as you go until you start to see coagulated egg whites starting to float. Stop stirring, and keep at a very light simmer for 1 hour, until clarification is complete. (Clarification with egg whites is optional, but if you are taking the time to infuse the flavors, you might as well). Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth. Peel remaining black garlic, and add to broth. Blend with immersion blender, and reserve for later use.

For the Spaetzle:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a stiff whisk. Let batter rest for 20 minutes. Bring several gallons of water to a stiff simmer. Using a perforated pan, pass the spaetzle batter through the holes of the pan into the simmering water below in batches of 1/3 of the batter each time. As the batter drips into the water, it will form dumpling pasta balls that will be fully cooked in as little as 90 seconds. Remove from the simmering water with a spider strainer, and place on a sheet pan, coating with oil to prevent sticking. Reserve for service.

To order:
Place pumpkin cubes on a sheet pan and season after coating lightly with oil. Roast in 400° convection oven or ten minutes. While pumpkin is roasting, bring broth to a simmer. Start two sauté pans over medium high heat. Remove duck breasts from cryovac bags, and place skin side down in one of the pans to crisp and render. In the other, sauté spaetzle dumpling pasta until lightly colored, adding shaved brussels sprouts and tossing to lightly wilt. Place brussels and spaetzle mixture into the bottom of the bowl. Add cubed roasted pumpkin around the bowl. Slice rendered crispy duck breast thinly, and place on pile of spaetzle. Ladle hot black garlic broth around. Garnish with sliced scallions and radishes.

Note: We served this dish with beluga lentils in place of the spaetzle a few times, and honestly I like it almost better! We’ve also done it with faro, and it always gets good reception from guests!

-Chef Tony Adams

For more information on #FoieTheWin. Click Here.

COUNTRY PATE of FOIE GRAS, PORK BELLY and PORK SHOULDER – #FoieTheWin – November 2015

COUNTRY PATE of FOIE GRAS, PORK BELLY and PORK SHOULDER

One of two #FoieTheWin winners for November comes from Chef Tomas Prado of Golden Fig Restaurant where they “proudly partner with local artisans and farmers to supply as many natural and organic products as are available, free of hormones, GMOs, pesticides and antibiotics. Our vision is to create a collaborative community around sustainable farming practices that translate into flavorful cooking.”

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country-pate

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INGREDIENTS – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
1 Kg Pasture Raised Pork Belly diced 1/2″ and chilled
500g Pasture Raised Pork Shoulder diced 1/2″ and chilled
500g Hudson Valley Foie Gras chunks chilled
24g Kosher Salt
2g Sugar
6g Coarse Black Pepper
2g Quatre-epices (4 spice mix)
2g Piment Espelette
4g Pink Curing Salt
100ml Cognac
100g Panade (milk soaked bread)
1 egg
20 strips of high quality thick cut bacon

METHOD
Combine all ingredients except Panade, egg and bacon strips in a large non reactive bowl and mix together. Let sit in refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Place all metal parts of the meat grinder in freezer for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Add the Panade and egg to your meat mixture and combine well. Set aside in refrigerator.

Set up your meat grinder with the 1/8″ die. Begin grinding meat mixture over a bowl set with ice. Once done remove a small amount and make a party and cook on stovetop to taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Place meat mixture in refrigerator.

Line your terrine mold with the bacon strips allowing for about 1 1/2″ to overlap on the sides. Place your meat mixture in terrine mold and smooth out evenly with a rubber spatula.

Boil 1 gallon of water and add to a hotel pan for your Bain Marie. Place terrine mold in Baine Marie and cook in 350f oven for 45 minutes. Rotate the pan and cook for another 30 minutes or until internal temperature has reached 155F.

Remove terrine from oven and cool down. Press terrine with 3-5# weights for 24 hours. Remove weights and let terrine sit for 3 days to ripen.

DUCK QUARTET SALAD with ROASTED SHALLOT CANE VINAIGRETTE

DUCK QUARTET SALAD with ROASTED SHALLOT CANE VINAIGRETTE
by Jamie Shannon

Book Photo089

Like variations on a theme, this quartet of duck preparations by Jamie Shannon highlights the versatility of duck and foie gras. The resulting salad offers intriguing contrasts among the textures and flavors of the sweet, supple prosciutto, the browned, crisp cracklings, the salty, dense smoked breast, and the earthy, silken foie gras.

YIELD: 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS

DUCK PROSCIUTTO – Purchase Duck Prosciutto Online
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup coarse salt
3 juniper berries
1 duck breast
In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, and juniper berries. Pack the duck breast in the mixture and refrigerate for 6 to 8 days. When done, the breasts should be firm to the touch, with a completely cooked texture and no evidence of raw meat. Wipe off the seasoning completely, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.

MARINATED SMOKED DUCK BREAST – Purchase Smoked Duck Breast Online
3 cups water
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 clove
1 star anise
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 duck breast
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons coarse salt
In a large saucepan, combine the water, salt, sugar, clove, star anise, and cinnamon, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer this solution to a clean container and submerge the duck breast in it. Allow the duck breast to cure, refrigerated, for up to 12 hours. Remove from the curing solution and rinse. Set up a cold smoker and heat to 85 degrees. Place the duck breast in the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. Chill.

In a small mixing bowl, combine, the orange juice, Jack Daniel’s, brown sugar, and salt. Marinate the smoked duck breast in this mixture overnight. Remove the breast from the marinade and discard the marinade. Score the duck skin into a diamond pattern, cutting three-fourths of the way into the skin. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and cook the duck breast slowly, rendering as much fat as possible without burning the skin. Turn the breast over and cook to medium rare. Remove from the pan and set aside until service.

VINAIGRETTE
5 shallots, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 ounces cane vinegar (see Chef Notes)
1 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the shallots lightly with the vegetable oil and roast them in a small pan for 30 minutes or until soft. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the roasted shallots, mustard, and vinegar. With the motor on, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream to form an emulsion. Set aside until service.

DUCK CRACKLINGS
Skin of 1 duck breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup water
Place the strips of duck skin in a small saucepan with water and cook over medium heat until all the fat is rendered and the skin becomes crisp. Strain, set the cracklings aside, and reserve the fat for another use.

CANE VINEGAR REDUCTION
4 cups cane vinegar
In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, reduce the vinegar until only 1/4 cup remains, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Set aside.

FOIE GRAS – Purchase Foie Gras Online
8 ounces foie gras cut into 4 slices, each 2 ounces and 1/2-inch thick, scored
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground

GARNISH
4 quail eggs

SALAD, FOIE GRAS, AND GARNISH
1/4 pound mesclun greens
1 orange, sectioned
2 ounces fresh peas
Using a meat slicer or a very sharp knife, slice the duck prosciutto into thin strips, being careful to keep the fat attached to the meat. Slice the smoked duck breast thinly, on the bias. In a large mixing bowl, place the mesclun greens, duck prosciutto, smoked duck, orange segments, and peas. Toss with the roasted shallot vinaigrette. Divide the salad evenly among the four serving plates. Heat a large saute pan over high heat until hot. Season the foie gras slices with salt and pepper and sear for 20 seconds per side. Place each slice atop a salad. In a small non-stick saute pan over medium heat, fry the quail eggs sunny side up. Place one on top of each piece of foie gras. Garnish each plate with a few duck cracklings and drizzle the vinegar reduction over the top.

CHEF NOTES
Cane vinegar, a Louisiana specialty, is a by-product of sugar production. One of the most popular brands is Steens. If you cannot smoke your own duck breast, you can usually purchase it, as well as duck prosciutto, from specialty meat purveyors.

FOIE GRAS and SWEET ONION BREAD PUDDING with PECAN-CRUSTED DUCK LEG CONFIT, WILTED SPINACH, and ANDOUILLE SALAD

FOIE GRAS and SWEET ONION BREAD PUDDING with PECAN-CRUSTED DUCK LEG CONFIT, WILTED SPINACH, and ANDOUILLE SALAD by Emeril Lagasse

(excerpted from “Foie Gras…A Passion” by Hudson Valley founder, Michael Ginor)

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With its roots in French, Spanish, and African cooking, the cuisine of New Orleans is known for hearty dishes with robust flavors. One of the genre’s most renowned practitioners is Emeril Lagasse, who, for this preparation, blends Cajun and Creole classics with French ingredients and techniques. Although bread pudding is usually served as a dessert, Emeril’s savory version incorporates foie gras, which, as it melts, enriches the custard. The result is a comforting, stuffing-like pudding that is a perfect accompaniment to the pecan-crusted duck leg confit.

YIELD: 10 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS

DUCK CONFIT – Purchase Duck Confit Online
10 duck legs
1 and 1/2 cups coarse salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1bunch fresh thyme
8 juniper berries
2 to 3 quarts rendered duck fat

Rinse the duck legs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the salt, peppercorns, thyme, and juniper. Holding 1 duck leg at a time over the bowl of salt, rub a generous amount of the salt and seasonings into the skin and flesh of the leg. Place in a half hotel pan or other nonreactive dish and repeat with the remaining legs. The salted legs can be layered 2 or 3 deep. All of the salt should be used. Any that is left over can be sprinkled on top. Refrigerate overnight. The following day, brush away any salt and spices from the duck legs and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the rendered fat in a heavy 6- or 8-quart saucepan over medium heat to between 220 and 230 degrees. Add the duck legs, making sure they are submerged in the fat, and cook until browned and tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. When the legs are nearly cooked, the meat will pull away from the leg bone. Remove from the heat and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer the legs to a ceramic bowl, crock, or other nonreactive container. If not using immediately, strain the fat on top to cover. The confit will keep up to one year in the refrigerator. To use confit that has been stored in the refrigerator, gently heat the bowl in a pot of simmering water to melt the hardened fat.

BREAD PUDDING – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound foie gras, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups sliced onions
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
7 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8 cups cubed white bread, without crusts
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart rectangular glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Heat a large saute pan over moderately high heat and sear the foie gras cubes in several batches, about 30 seconds per batch, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Remove the cubes and drain them on a paper towel, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the remaining butter to the pan and saute the onions until translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, and all the black pepper. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Remove this mixture from the head and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream, the remaining salt and cayenne pepper, the Tabasco sauce, and the Worcestershire sauce. Whisk this mixture until all ingredients are well blended. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the bread cubes and mix well. Fold in the seared foie gras. Pour the mixture into the buttered pan and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set. If the top begins to brown, cover with aluminum foil. Remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

PECAN-CRUSTED DUCK CONFIT
2 and 1/2 cups pecans, lightly toasted (see Chef Notes)
3 and 3/4 cups flour
Essence of Emeril (see Chef Notes)
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup milk
10 legs duck confit (from above)
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, combine the pecans with 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour. Pulse until the pecans are finely ground, being careful not to over-process the mixture to a paste. Season the mixture with the Essence of Emeril. In a shallow bowl, season the remaining flour with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Dredge the confit legs in the seasoned flour. Dip each leg in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the legs in the pecan mixture, coating each leg completely. Heat two ovenproof saute pans, each large enough to hold five duck legs without crowding, over medium-high heat. Divide the olive oil among the two pans and heat. Lay the pecan-crusted legs into the hot oil, five per pan. Pan fry the legs for 3 minutes on the first side, flip and remove the pan from the heat. Place the pans in the preheated oven and cook the duck legs for an additional 6 minutes. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towel, and keep warm.

WILTED SPINACH SALAD
2 and 1/2 cups andouille sausage, finely chopped (see Chef Notes)
1/4 cup shallot, minced
2 and 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 and 1/2 cups olive oil
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
10 cups fresh spinach, cleaned, stems removed, and firmly packed

In a hot saute pan, sear the andouille sausage for 1 minute, until the fat renders. Add the shallot, garlic, and chopped onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small stainless steel container and set aside in a warm place. Reserve the red onion and spinach until service.

SERVICE
Using a 2 and 1/2-inch round metal cutter, cut circles out of the bread pudding. Place the spinach into the large mixing bowl and toss with the red onions and the warm vinaigrette. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Mound some salad onto one side of each of ten serving plates. Lay a duck confit leg on top of each salad and a round of bread pudding on the side.

CHEF NOTES
To toast the pecans, place the nuts on a sheet pan and set in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely before using. Essence of Emeril is a proprietary spice blend available in grocery and gourmet stores. As a substitute, use any combination of sweet and hot spices to your taste. Andouille is a dense smoked sausage typical of Louisiana. It can be found in most specialty meat or charcuterie shops. Do not confuse Cajun andouille with French andouille, which is a tripe sausage typical of Lyons.