Duck Hams with Fig Chutney & Corn Cakes

 I’ll admit that I’ve only made this recipe aswritten once. I was delighted how the duck “ham” turned out. Since that first time I always take shortcuts with the toppings and I have made these corn cakes many times. It is my favorite corn cake recipe. To make this recipe manageable use smoked duck breast or prosciutto instead of making the duck hams. Or really any kind of ham. Buy any kind of chutney, fig is nice if you find it. Mango chutney works fine though.

 

Open Hand 

Celebration Cookbook 

serves 12
 

Ingredients 

For duck “hams”:

  • 4 boneless duck breasts, preferably Muscovy, 12 to 14 ounces each 
  • 1 cup rock salt 
  • 1/2 cup sugar 
  • 2 bunches fresh thyme 
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns 
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 
  • 2 teaspoons crushed 
  • black pepper 
  • Cheesecloth and butcher’s twine 

For fig chutney:

  • 2 whole heads garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped 
  • 3 tablespoons ginger, coarsely chopped 
  • 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar 
  • 4 pounds fresh figs, washed and stems removed
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
  • 1/2 cup Pinot Noir 


For corn cakes:

  • 4 medium eggs 
  • 1 cup flour 
  • 2 tablespoons clarified butter 
  • 1 small onion, chopped 
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels 
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil 
Directions

 

For the Duck Hams: Remove skin but not fat from the duck breasts, then combine salt and sugar and place in a medium-sized bowl with duck breasts. Rub mixture evenly on breasts. Place breasts on a sheet pan, and spread remainder of salt sugar mixture over breasts. 

Remove leaves from thyme sprigs, combine with peppercorns and coriander, and distribute over duck breasts. Cover with foil, weight down, and place in refrigerator overnight. 

Remove breasts from refrigerator, scrape off seasoning, and sprinkle with crushed black pepper. Cut 16 rectangles of cheesecloth, 1 by 2 feet. Place 4 layers of cloth on top of each other, and put a breast, fat side down, on corner of cloth. Fold breast in half, so it has the shape of a log, then start rolling from the corner of cloth. Roll tightly, and when breast is 1/3 covered, fold opposite corners of cloth toward each other and fold tightly over breast. Tie with butcher’s twine, wrapping it around cloth from one end to the other, and securing ends tightly. Leave a few inches of extra twine at one end so you can hang the breast. Repeat process with other breasts. 

Hang duck breasts in a cool, dark, draft-free place, and age for two or three weeks. When ready to serve, remove twine, unwrap, and slice thinly, as you would prosciutto. 

To prepare fig chutney: place garlic and ginger with half the vinegar, in bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside. 

In a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pan, combine figs, remaining vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, add garlic-ginger puree, lower heat, and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Add the wine and continue cooking for approximately 1 hour more, until chutney is consistency of honey. Remove from heat and let cool; then refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

To prepare corn cakes: beat the eggs into the flour in a medium bowl. Add the clarified butter, onion, corn, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well blended. 

Place a skillet with peanut oil covering bottom over medium heat, and when hot, drop the batter a tablespoon at a time into pan. The pancakes should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side, or until golden brown, flip, and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from pan and place on warm platter. Serve with fig chutney and slices of duck “ham.”


Aqua Restaurant 

San Francisco 

Serves 10