Duck Fat Mayonnaise

     There are times when we have incredibly flavorful byproducts from cooking.  All too often though, the saved item goes bad waiting for "The Right Use".  We shake our heads and silently admonish ourselves for not making use of it.  Sometimes we wonder what we would ever do with it.  I have heard that one A LOT.  While duck fat seems like some exotic ingredient reserved for some hipster joint with an abstract symbol for a name, it has a long history as an ingredient to add flavor and richness to otherwise ordinary food. 

Have a look at a few ideas to use duck fat to add some complexity to your meals.

Duck Fat Mayonnaise

1/2 C Rendered Duck Fat

1 1/2 C Canola oil.  (Olive oil would distract from flavor)

3 Large Duck Egg Yolks

1 Smallish to medium Onion finely minced and fully caramelized

1 t Lemon Juice

Pacific Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.

Mix oils in a container that will allow you to slowly pour.

In a sufficiently sized mixing bowl, combine yolks, onion, & lemon.

Using a mixer on a highish speed beat the yolks mixture.

Slowly SLOWLY! Drizzle the oil into the yolk mixture while making sure it takes up the oil before adding more.

Take your time.  This takes time even for experienced chefs. 

When you have added in all the oil, just mix a tad more just for the sake of ensuring it's all incorporated.

Season with Pacific Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.

Use Duck Fat as the oil in a savory pastry crust

Fried Eggs

Shrimp Toast

Garlic Bread

Rogue River Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Rogue River Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Delicious on wild game from Salmon to Elk

4 C Wild Blackberries (seeded)

1 C Orange Juice

1 C Tomato Sauce

1 Bulb Roasted Garlic

1teaspoon Pacific Sea Salt
1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar 

1/4 C Brown Sugar

Cayenne to desired heat level.

Berries can be seeded by mashing and sieved through a wire screen strainer, or chinois

Combine all ingredients and simmer over low heat until reduced to your desired thickness.

Sauces are really subjective. Some like it thicker than others.

A thinned sauce could be mopped over a whole roasting hog, or perhaps even pit roasted elk.

A thicker sauce could baste grilled salmon, or chicken. Ideal for game birds such as quail or chukar.

Blackberry Jam & Blackberry Syrup

Blackberry season is upon us.  Here in the Lower Rogue River valleys wild blackberries grow to amazing proportions and have a sweet berry citrus flavor.  Many locals go out and pick dozens of flats for pies and preserves.  Here are a few ideas for your harvest.

Blackberry Jam

4 Lbs. Fresh Berries

2c. Sugar

Juice of 1 lemon.

Zest of 1 lemon

1 Pkg. Pectin

Rinse your fruit lightly in ICE COLD WATER

Take 1 pound of fruit and slowly simmer with 1/4 c. water.

When fruit is mostly cooked through, remove from heat and slowly mix in sugar until dissolved.

Place remaining fruit in a mixing bowl large enough to allow thorough mixing.

Pour slightly cooled cooked fruit and sugar mixture over the raw fruit.

Add the juice and zest.

Evenly sprinkle pectin over the fruit.

Gently fold fruit to incorporate the pectin.

Use a jar funnel to full the STERILE jar of your choice.

Fill mostly full and secure with lids.

They will keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks.

Or put I plastic containers and freeze for up to a year.

Add finely diced Fresh Jalapeno for a little kick.

Strain the seeds for a Jelly

Blackberry Pancake Syrup

2 Lbs. Blackberries

4 c. Sugar

2 c. Water

1 Bottle Light Corn Syrup (any brand)

Crush and mill berries to remove seeds. (A strainer works in a pinch if you don't have a food mill)

In a large enough sauce pot to accommodate the ingredients coming to a boil, add all the ingredients.

Slowly bring up to a light simmer. (Starts bubbling mere seconds after stirring.)

Simmer for about 10 minutes uncovered. (So it won't boil over & make a mess)

Keep an eye on the heat. The goal is to render it food safe & VERY lightly caramelize the sugar.

Allow to cool and fill a few STERILE pretty bottles for yourself or as a gift.

Introductions

  My name is Dave.  I've been a working Chef for most of my life. Life creeps up on us all and now I'm retired.  I had always meant to write a cookbook and life happened.  Now that retirement is here, an abundance of open schedule time has appeared.
  I'll be posting approachable recipes in a context that gives the reader confidence to try new things.