DUCK EGG SALAD WITH BACON AND ROASTED BEETS

My husband picked up a dozen duck eggs for a dinner party, for the duck egg creme brûlée I planned to make for dessert, and two duck balut while he was at the Asian Market.
We had become intrigued by duck balut since talking with a friend who remembers her father eating the snack, and reading a book that introduced us to the popular Philippino street food. Although we still haven't been able to bring ourselves to cook and eat the fertilized and developing embryo, the man at the store where my husband purchased the balut, said he sells at least a dozen of them a week.
However, it took no act of bravery at all to use some of the duck eggs in this delicious, quick salad. I loved how all the components came together to form a delectable, absolutely wonderful meal.

DUCK EGG SALAD WITH BACON AND ROASTED BEETS

MAPLE DIJON DRESSING
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
SALAD
2 beets, tops removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 strips bacon
salad greens
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
4 duck eggs

MAKE DRESSING
Whisk together mustard, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Continue whisking while drizzling in 4 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
ROAST BEETS
Heat oven to 350F.
Wash beets and place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle beets with olive oil and fold foil up and around beets to make a sealed package. Roast for 45 minutes, or until beets are completely tender all the way through when pierced with a skewer.
Let beets sit until cool enough to handle, then peel. Cut beets into wedges.
PREPARE BACON
Stack bacon and cut cross-wise into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Gently separate the pieces and place in a heavy pan set over medium heat. Cook the bacon until brown and crispy, stirring frequently. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to drain.
ASSEMBLE SALAD
Just before serving, toss together diced beets, bacon, salad greens and walnut pieces. Add enough dressing to lightly coat all the salad ingredients and divide salads equally between four plates. Divide the beets, bacon and walnuts evenly as well.
FRY THE DUCK EGGS
Heat pan over high heat, add enough cooking spray, butter or olive oil, to coat the bottom of the pan. Fry the duck eggs until the whites are very crispy and the bottom of the yolk is just starting to firm up. Flip the eggs and cook briefly on the other side.
Top each salad with a fried duck egg, sprinkle each duck egg lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from PCC Natural Markets
www.pccnaturalmarkets.com › Cook › Recipes‎

WILD HIBISCUS COCKTAIL and CUMIN AND CURRY SPICED LOTUS CHIPS and BRAISED BEEF TENDON and RABBIT STEW WITH OLIVES AND ROSEMARY and DUCK EGG POTS DE CREME

We welcomed our fellow food lovers from Supper Club into our home, and were excited and inspired to take our guests on a culinary adventure. We had many, many ideas of weird and wonderful foods to try and dishes to cook, but narrowed it down to seven courses and a "muse from the chef" - a sip of tomato soup and bite of grilled cheese sandwich - comfort food among all the strange dishes.
My husband was away in Fort Smith at a conference all day, but made it home in time to grill marrow bone and octopus to perfection.

WILD HIBISCUS COCKTAIL

5 ounces St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
5 ounces pink grapefruit juice
2 1/2 ounces wild hibiscus syrup
1 bottle of champagne
wild hibiscus flower

Pour Elderflower Liqueur, grapefruit juice, and wild hibiscus syrup evenly into champagne flutes. Top with champagne and garnish with a hibiscus flower.
Enjoy!

CUMIN AND CURRY SPICED LOTUS CHIPS

1/2 pound of lotus root
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 350F.
Soak lotus root in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels.
Place lotus root, olive oil and sesame oil in a bowl and toss until well combined.
Add the cumin, curry powder, salt, pepper and cinnamon and toss until fully combined.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon
http://www.spoonforkbacon.com/2012/04/cumin-spiced-lotus-chips/

BRAISED BEEF TENDON

2 pounds of beef tendon
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
6 cloves garlic
2 star anise
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 stick of cinnamon

Place the beef tendon in a pot, fill the pot with water, cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Pour off liquid until there is just enough to cover the tendon, add the wine, soy sauce and spices to the pot. Braise on low heat, checking hourly to see if its at the level of softness you like (I cooked mine all day!!).
Remove beef tendon from pot and cut into chunks. Serve with sauce over prepared udon noodles.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Instructables
http://www.instructables.com/id/Collagen-thickened-oxtail-stew-or-how-to-wash-you/?ALLSTEPS

RABBIT STEW WITH OLIVES AND ROSEMARY

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
8 rabbit hind quarters
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup red wine
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 rosemary sprigs
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup of Nicoise olives

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, brown the rabbit over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until crispy all over, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the rabbit to a large plate.
Add the wine to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine into a cup, wipe out the skillet.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the rabbit and any accumulated juices along with the reserved wine to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the olives and the remaining 2 cups of stock and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and the rabbit is tender, about 20 minutes longer. Discard the rosemary.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2009
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

DUCK EGG POTS DE CREME

3 duck egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups cream

Heat oven to 275F.
Set 4 ramekins into a large oven-safe baking dish.
Whisk the duck egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl, until yolks are slightly thickened and pale yellow in color.  Add cream to egg yolk mixture and stir to combine.
Pour custard mixture into prepared ramekins. Add enough hot water to the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Carefully place dish in the oven, bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until custards are just set.
Remove baking dish from oven and let the custards cool to room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator until fully chilled.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Erica Strauss
www.pccnaturalmarkets.com › Cook › Recipes‎