WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU DUCK CONFIT...

ROASTED DUCK CONFIT RED CURRY
....This makes use of one of my favorite easy ingredients; the Duck Confit

For the Confit - Roast
--1/2 to 2/3 duck (confit)-patted dry (remove excess fat) and kept whole as possible
--1/4 tsp ground coriander
--1/4 tsp ground ginger powder
--1/4 tsp roasted fennel seeds
--2 star anise pods
--1 clove
--1 piece canela cinnamon stick 1 inch long

For the Curry:
--2 1/2 cups coconut milk (use a thai brand they are the creamiest and thats what we want)
--1/4 cup red curry paste (Mae Ploy brand is best in my opinion)
--10 fresh/frozen keffir lime leaves (if dried use about 15 of them)
--1 tbsp thai palm sugar or packed dark brown sugar
--1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce/nam pla (Squid is a good brand)
----1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (1 inch pieces)
----or
----1 cup red grapes sliced in half
--10 - 15 cherry tomatoes
--small handful green beans - trimmed and chopped into 1 inch lengths
--6 thai chilies or 2 red chilies cut into rings (remove seeds at your own discretion)
--leaves from about 8 - 10 stems of thai basil  (You can use italian sweet basil too - use about 6 stems and tear large leaves in half)
--Steamed Jasmine rice for serving

Roasting the Confit:
Preheat over to about 400f or 220c.
Make sure to remove as much fat from the duck as you can man. Place duck on roasting tray.
Take the whole spices and grind into a powder and then combine with the powdered spices. Gently rub this mixture onto the duck pieces and coat evenly.
NOTE: You dont have to spice the duck, but I recommend it!
Place spiced duck in oven and roast until skin/outside of duck is nice and crisp while still being succulent underneath.
Set aside.

Preparing the Curry:
Heat 1 cup of the coconut milk in a large pot over medium heat until it just about boils. Reduce heat to med-low and let milk reduce another 5 mins. Whisk in curry paste - this is best done by adding small chunks/pieces of the paste slowly as opposed to dumping in a large clump. Continue to simmer another 5 mins until mixture smells intensely great.

Put the duck pieces gently in the pot and allow to heat through. Add remaining coconut milk, lime leaves and 1 cup of water. Stir to incorporate and bring heat back up to medium high. Bring to a boil then reduce heat again to medium low. Wait about 3 minutes and then add the pineapple/grapes, palm sugar, fish sauce, and chilies. Continue to simmer until pineapple breaks easily with the side of a spoon. If using grapes just simmer for about 3 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, green beans and basil leaves. Cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 3 minutes. By now the duck has probably shredded itself into the sauce no? I like that. SERVE IT UP with some rice. Now. Enjoy. 

And we had a desert.....

COCONUT RICE PUDDING!!!!!
Easy:
1 1/2 cups precooked basmati/jasmine rice
3 cups coconut milk (creamy thai variety)
3 tbsp palm sugar - chopped/grated (ultimately this is an estimate, you may want it sweeter or not so sweet)
2 cloves
1/4 cup desicatted shredded coconut

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker or large pot and cook on medium-low heat until coconut milk has seriously reduced and the rice is starting to smooth out into the milk.

Serve with peanuts on top or chunks of medjool dates (like we did).

Enjoy late in the evening.......