Duck Rillettes

Chef John's version of duck rillettes, a decadent French pâté made with well-seasoned, slow-cooked duck, is perfect on bread, toast, or crostini.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 6 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 125 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 12 cloves garlic
• salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 6 (1/4 inch thick) slices fresh ginger
• 1 orange, zest cut into thin strips
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 duck
• 2 T unsalted butter, softened
• 1 T brandy
• 1 teaspoon chives
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a 9x13-baking dish with two pieces of aluminum foil.

Step 2

Make the spice rub: Stir kosher salt, pepper, and thyme together in a small bowl. Make the seasoning mix: Mix garlic, thyme sprigs, garlic, ginger, and bay leaves together in another bowl.

Step 3

Season duck all over, both inside and out, with about 2/3 of the spice rub. Fill the cavity with all of the seasoning mix. Place duck, breast-side up, into the prepared baking dish and season with remaining spice rub. Wrap duck tightly in aluminum foil.

Step 4

Roast in the preheated oven until meat pulls away from the bones, 5 to 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cool duck with its accumulated juices, wrapped in aluminum foil, to room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Step 5

Pick meat from the bones and place into a bowl.

Step 6

Spoon all accumulated juices in the foil into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook until hot throughout, about 5 minutes. Strain juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Let fat and stock separate, then transfer fat from the top to another bowl.

Step 7

Mash duck meat, 3 tablespoons duck fat, 2 tablespoons duck stock, butter, brandy, parsley, chives, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Transfer to to a sealable container, press down, and drizzle a little duck fat over the top. Sprinkle thyme leaves, more black pepper, and orange zest over the top. Seal the container and refrigerate for the flavors to blend, 1 to 3 days.