Contemporary French Cuisine can be as simple as an algamation of quality ingredients showcasing their luxurious qualities. Here classic ingredients like slow roasted duck confit are combined with intensely flavored wild mushrooms, then the sauce is enriched with goat cheese to give a silky texture to the noodles.
Confit is from the French verb confire, to preserve. French cooks in the South of France often used Goose Fat to cook when olive oil was not plentiful. They soon realized they could cook waterfoul like duck and goose in their own fat and bury them in pots underground. This became an early form of preservation which also gave a rich flavor to the meat.
Cepes are a broad capped wild mushrooms. The name Cep in French refers to the trunk or thick stem the mushroom also contains. This mushroom is also know as Porcini in Italy. They grow in small clusters around pine, fir, spruce and hemlock trees. The superior flavor of the mushrooms are prized by gourmands around the world. It is described as a nutty and meaty flavor, with a smooth, creamy texture. They are often served raw, sautéed with butter, simmered in soups, stews or pastas and in a variety of many other dishes.
Chevre is the French name for goat and cheese made from Goats Milk. It has a distinctive tart flavor from the fatty acids that makes it different from Cows Milk. It is delicious in many ways, cold on salads, warm in appetizers and entrees and even sweetened and served as dessert. It is also very compatible to many French Wines.
Noodles With Duck Confit And Cepe-Goat Cheese Sauce
- 1/4 cup duck fat or butter
- 2 tablespoons each dried Cepes or Porcini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion or shallots
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups pulled duck confit
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup dark poultry stock ( or light poultry stock with a splash of soy sauce)
- 1/2 pound ribbon pasta (fettucine, pappardelle or tagliatelle)
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, room temp or warmed
- kosher salt and black pepper
- fresh chopped chives for garnish
- Parmesan or additional Goat cheese for garnish
Method:
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta.
- Pour 1/2 cup hot water over dried mushrooms
- In a large saute pan heat duck fat or butter
- Add onions, fresh mushrooms and thyme
- When onions start to wilt add the duck confit
- Drain soak mushrooms and add them to the pan, reserving the soaking liquor
- Whisk together the poultry stock, soaking liquid and goat cheese and add to pan
- Drain pasta and combine with duck ragout mixture
- Season with salt and pepper
- garnish with fresh chives and serve with parmesan or additional crumbled goat cheese
Chris Albano - My Name is Chris Albano and I have been a working chef for over 20 years. I was born in Springfield Massachusetts, a city 90 miles west of ...
