My taste buds crave duck once in a while. Crispy roasted duck was a given on my dad’s birthday. Served German style with red cabbage and boiled potatoes. The skin was soooo crispy, the meat, salty, chewy, a bit dry, nothing a good drowning in gravy couldn’t fix. More than one family member has been caught in the kitchen after dinner, picking and gnawing on the carcass. For decades I have been trying to perfect my moms recipe but so far, no such luck. I’m not sure if the quality is different or maybe my mom added a secret ingredients. I come close but its never the same. I can close my eyes and I can smell the duck roasting in our little kitchen, oh what a wonderful torture it was to have the scent waving thru the house for ours, teasing your taste buds. I raised ducks for a number of years just for this once or twice a year in the winter treat. Because of this I also got to appreciate duck eggs. Their yolk contains more albumen than chicken eggs and makes them the perfect secret weapon for a killer pound cake. There is a richness to it, when the soft yolk caresses your tongue.
Recently I found duck bacon thru D’Artagnan a wonderful purveyor online meat company. I will say upfront, they are a bit pricy but you wont buy their stuff all the time and their duck bacon is just what a German girl needs once in a whiled to satisfy the duck craving without roasting a whole duck or splurging on duck breasts.
This dish is a great brunch. Rich, savory and sure to impress anyone who tries it.
Directions
1.) soft boil duck eggs (bring pot of water to boil, place duck eggs in water. Gentle boil for 5 minutes. Turn heat off. Place lid on top and let eggs steep for 7 minutes.
2.) Preheat skillet or heavy frying pan over medium high heat with 1 TBS of oil. Place duck bacon in skillet and fry on both sides until crsip and brown, flipping over occasionally (about 10-15 minutes) go low and slow with the bacon. Keep warm between paper towels or warm oven.
3.) Add baby spinach to the skillet with duck fat renderings. Add the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring the bottom to remove all bits of duck fat. When spinach is wilted, season to taste, with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4.) Place warmed mini Naan bread onto serving plates. Divide Spinach mixture on top between the plates.
5.) Shock duck eggs in cold water, peel immediatly, cut in half and place on top of spinach.
Divide Duck bacon between the plates. Serve immediately.
