While the duck is baking I treat my friends with some spiced duck liver. Often there is not that much liver that comes with a duck, so you may have to add some extra if you like. Many food shops sell duck or chicken livers separately. This dish may be tiny but its definitively worth every bite.

a couple of duck livers (or chicken livers)
one small shallot
half a poblano
one teaspoon coriander seeds
one teaspoon cumin seeds
chili flakes
salt
one or two garlic cloves

lime juice
fresh cilantro

Chop the shallot and the poblano into tiny tiny pieces. Saute in plenty of butter on low heat until soft. In another pan, roast the cumin and coriander seeds on high heat until they start to pop. Remove from heat and crush the seeds in a mortar and pestle to a semi fine powder. Chop the liver into very small pieces. Heat up a pan with some olive oil. When hot add the spices with some chili flakes. Let the spices merge with the olive oil before adding the liver. Sprinkle some salt over and stir constantly until the liver starts to get color. Squeeze some garlic cloves in and cook for just a little bit more. Take off the heat and add some freshly squeezed lime juice and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with some bread. Enjoy!

I will as I always do, cook duck for Thanksgiving. The reason is the fat. A duck may look slimmer but when cooked it rarely dries out, while a turkey that’s leaner often does. To choose a leaner meat may be a good idea in general, but I definitively prefer something tastier for a holiday like this.

If you think the duck renders too much fat while baking, I suggest you spoon off the overflow for use in other treats. Potatoes fried in duck fat are heavenly and a duck fat omelet is marvelous. When done right duck fat stores really well.

I also recommend using all the parts that come with. The liver can be chopped up and sautéd with shallots, coriander and cumin. Seasoned with lime and cilantro and you have a perfect appetizer. The neck (head and feet) and rest of the giblets make a great base for a stock (see below). This week’s recipe is my own creation, but I learnt the baking method from both my mother and Elizabeth David (French Provincial Cooking, 1960). Happy Thanksgiving.

Duck in Port
4 people

one duck (about 5lb/ 2.5 kg) free range/ wild/ organic
one lemon
2-3 teaspoons salt
pepper

fig and prune stuffing
10 prunes
10 dried figs
one cup (240 ml) port
thyme

under the duck
about 2 lb (almost a kilo) small potatoes, cut in wedges
4 parsnips, cut in wedges
some sprigs of thyme
salt & pepper

for the stock (will be used to baste the duck)
duck neck and giblets (head and feet if available)
one small onion, sliced
one small carrot, sliced
small piece of celery (or any other vegetable that you may have)
one cup (240 ml) white wine
5- 6 leaves of sage (or any other herb you have at hand)
6 black pepper corns
2 teaspoons salt
water

The day before: Cut the figs and prunes into small pieces and soak them with port overnight or at least for 6 hours.

About an hour before you roast the duck you need to prepare the stock. Take out the giblets and the neck from the duck. Sauté the different parts in a saucepan. When brown add the sliced onion, carrots and pour in the white wine. Let it bubble and reduce for a couple minutes. Add thyme, sage, pepper corns and salt. Cover with water and let simmer for about an hour. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.

Rinse the bird under running cold water. Rub the duck inside and out with lemon. Rub on some salt and pepper. Fill the duck with the fig and prune stuffing (reserve the remaining juice for the sauce below or add it to the stock)

Put the duck on its side on a rack in a roasting pan. After 30 minutes in the oven @345°F (175°C), turn the bird on the other side and pour ½ – one cup of warm stock over the bird (keep some for later if making a sauce). Let it cook for another 30 minutes. Prepare the potatoes and parsnips. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle on some thyme,  salt & pepper. Toss well together with your hands. Take the duck out and turn the bird facing up. Place the potatoes and parsnips at the bottom of the pan. Stir around a little so the potatoes and parsnips get well coated with the duck fat and stock. If there is too much liquid or fat jut take it aside for later use. Put the bird back into the oven and cook for about 45-60 minutes. The breast should be gorgeously brown and the legs loose. Take out the bird and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes before carving. The potatoes and parsnips should be ready about the same time but depending on the duck they may need less or longer to get ready. They should be soft inside and slightly crisp on top.

While the duck is resting you can make a simple sauce (optional) to go with the bird. Heat up some butter or some of the duck fat that you have set aside. Let a couple of the stuffed figs and prunes cook with it. Add some of the remaining stock and port juice. Let simmer for a bit before adding a little cream. Season with salt & pepper.

Other nice sides are: lingonberry or cranberry sauce, gherkins, string beans, brussel sprouts and baked cabbage (check out my own recipe at the bottom of this post).

This recipe works also with goose or even turkey if you choose to have it anyway. You will have to adjust the recipe a little as these birds often come larger. I have also used this recipe with chicken on other occasions with great success.

Story and recipe was originally posted at EcoSalon on 10th November 2011.

Ever since I had my first Pork Belly Bun at Momofuku’s Noodle bar in the East Village I have never had enough of them. Their Pork Belly is cured with spices like star anise, fennel, coriander and cinnamon etc. The pork is served on steamed buns with cucumber, fresh coriander and Housin sauce. To cure fatty pork  is an old tradition and common all over the world and it’s a good way to conserve the meat. In Sweden they call it söt-saltat fläsk (sweet-salted pork belly).

The first time I cured pork belly I followed Stephane Lemagnen’s excellent recipe. Stephane even claims that his pork belly buns are better than Momofuku’s. Later I developed my own versions and a couple of weeks ago I had some friends over for a Nordic-style pork bun. I spiced the pork with coriander, fennel and caraway seeds (the same spices that are used in Akvavit). Instead of steamed buns and Housin sauce I served them in rye bread buns* with sweet baked cabbage (see recipe below), fresh cucumber, pickled carrots, and mustard thyme sauce (see recipe below). Everyone loved it!

cure the pork belly
(enough for 7-9 people)

1 ½ kg (3 lb) pork belly
some peppercorns
3 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup (120 ml) salt
½ cup (120 ml) sugar (I used brown sugar)

for the broth
one large onion
one carrot
two celery stalks
a twig of thyme
bay leaves

Toast black pepper, coriander, fennel and caraway seeds in a dry pan until they start to pop. Remove immediately from heat and pour into a mortar and pestle. Crush them as fine as you want. Mix the spices together with the salt, sugar and garlic.

Score the fat of the pork and start to rub in the spice mixture on all sides. Place the meat in a dish or a bowl and pour, if any left, the rest of the spice mixture over. Cover with plastic wrap and place something heavy on top. Let it cure for 48 hours (24 hours with thinner pieces). Turn the meat around now and again.

After 24 – 48 hours, brush off the spices and rinse under cold water. Place the meat in a pot together with the broth ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. Skim off the fat that floats to the surface. The meat should feel soft when you stuck with a fork. When done let the meat cool in the liquid. The liquid can be used in soups (like this). Slice the meat into ¼” (about 5 mm) slices. Place them with the fat side up in a baking pan and grill them in the oven on high heat until the fat is caramelized. Serve immediately together with rye bread and accompaniments listed above. Enjoy!

Mustard  Thyme Sauce

This mustard sauce is like a traditional Hovmästarsauce (butler sauce) that is often served with Gravlax. Instead of dill I used fresh thyme from the garden.

3 tablespoons mustard
one egg yolk
100 ml (0.4 cups) olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
(1 tablespoon sucanat)
plenty of thyme
salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix mustard, egg yolk, vinegar and thyme. You can skip sugar if the mustard is too sweet. Slowly start dripping in the oil while stirring the mixture. Continue dripping in the oil and stirring. If you add the oil too quickly the mixture can separate. The result should be a thick sauce. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. (If the mixture separates start over with a new egg yolk and slowly add the separated mixture.)

Sweet Baked Cabbage

Clean and cut one head of white cabbage into wedges. Brush the wedges with a mixture of lemon, olive oil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper on top. Bake on one side for about 15 minutes or until it starts to brown. Turn around and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

* I really need to create a better bread post where I describe how I measure flour and why my breads always change depending on what I have in my pantry and fridge. Until then my older rye bread recipe will do. Instead of two loaves make several mini buns.

Two of the reason why we bought our cottage on the edge of nowhere was that the house was in range of the Internet and that our neighbor had sheep. Later on we found out that he had just enough lambs each year to feed himself and his two daughters’ families! By that time it was too late as we had started our long renovation of the house. We kind of love the place for other reasons too. However, I can’t help thinking how great it would be if we could get lamb meat that was that ultra-local. My neighbor doesn’t help as he keeps telling me about all the treats he’s been cooking over the winter. For example he makes slow cooked roasts, tasty stews and he salts and dries the leg of lamb (lammfiol). Sigh! Anyway I have to say I like his stories, they are inspiring. So in the end I’m very happy and just up the road from us I can get fresh eggs and chicken. And in my garden I grow flowers and vegetables.

Read the rest of the post and get my Lamb Shoulder recipe at Honest Cooking.

This Recipe Diagram is my submission for GOOD’s Redesign the Recipe project. If you like it you may vote for me. Thanks!

See more Recipe Diagrams here.

In Sweden you eat yellow pea soup and thin pancakes every Thursday, or at least its popular to do so. The tradition has its roots from the middle-ages, where it was a preparation for Friday which was a day of fasting at that time. Nowadays its common to serve the soup with hot Punch, a sweet arrack flavored spirit. Its one of those odd combinations that actually works.

To make the soup, use whole yellow peas* that you soak for about 12 hours. After soaking, cook the peas in some water together with a whole piece of salted pork** (or if you prefer, cut into smaller pieces), onion, bay leaves and plenty of thyme (marjoram can also be used). I don’t mind adding a carrot into the soup, its not essential but it give the soup a sweet touch that I like. Just before the peas are done (almost mushy) you take out the meat and slice it. The meat can be served on the side or in the soup. If necessary season with salt. Serve the peasoup with mustard and buttered hard bread (knäckebröd). And to my taste don’t forget the hot Punch.

I often skip the thin pancakes but for most Swedes this is the grande finale of this meal! They should be served with whipped cream and jam.

* in case you don’t find whole yellow peas, yellow split peas may be used, just skip the soaking and follow the rest.
** bacon or similar may be used if its impossible to find salted pork.

This recipe is perfect when you have some left-over Quinoa.

(serves 2-3)

8 slices of bacon
one onion
¼ – ½ fennel root
one cup brown quinoa (dried)
one teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
one teaspoon coriander seeds, roasted and ground
one teaspoon mustard seeds, roasted and ground
chili flakes
oregano
garlic, crushed
salt

fresh cilantro
toasted walnuts

Chop the onion finely and slice the fennel into thin strips. Sauté on low heat with butter until soft and almost transparent. If you want you can add some of the left-over bacon fat to the onion mixture. Slice the bacon and sauté in a separate pan until a little crisp. When ready add the bacon to the onion mixture. Feed the mixture with chili, cumin, coriander and mustard seed. Raise the heat and let cook for about 2 minutes and then add the garlic, oregano and finally the cooked quinoa (see below). You may need to add some olive oil or a splash of water if it gets too dry. Season with salt. Top with fresh cilantro and toasted walnuts.

I have also made this with other vegetables such as: celery, kale, spinach and cabbage

my way of making quinoa
I cook quinoa a little bit like I cook rice by using a 1:2 ratio (one cup quinoa gets two cups of water). Rinse the quinoa and put into a pot together with water and some salt. Cover and bring to a boil and then let the covered quinoa simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. The quinoa should start to “sprout” (not really but you should see their curly germs). Turn off the heat and let stand covered until all the water has dissolved. With this method your quinoa will not be over-boiled and can be sauted with the recipe above.

Borum Hill Sausage doesn’t really exist, I just named my pork sausages that because I happened to make the sausages there.  The ingredients don’t have anything to do with this lovely neighborhood in Brooklyn. And I don’t even live there!

5 lb (ca 2.25 kg) pork shoulder (keep all fat)
about 1 ½ lb (ca 0.70 kg) pork fat
(there should be about 30 % fat to meat)

3-4 ancho chilies
2 teaspoons dried chili flakes (I used mild)
5-6 garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons salt
6 teaspoons whole cumin, roasted and crushed
6 teaspoons whole coriander, roasted and crushed
2-3 teaspoons whole fenu greek, roasted and crushed
1/2 cup fresh sage (or oregano)
(olive oil)

pork casings (at your butcher or online)

Rinse the casing and let soak in water and some white vinegar (the vinegar is not really necessary).

Cut the meat and fat into smaller pieces. Place the meat into the freezer. Its really important to keep the meat cold, in fact it’ actually good to have it a little frozen.

Prepare the spices: Chop the ancho chilies into small pieces. To soften the chilies, sauté them in some olive oil in a pan for a couple of minutes. Set aside and let cool. Roast the cumin, coriander and fenu greek together in a dry pan. With a pestle and mortar, grind the spices to a nice powder (it’s really worth doing this, the smell is divine). Place ancho chili, chili flakes, garlic and roasted spices into a small food processor/blender and blend to a fine mixture. You may need to add some olive oil. Chop the sage finely.

Ground the meat in a food grinder using the coarse die. If its a warmer day you can keep the meat cold by placing  it on top of a bowl of ice. Add the prepared spices, salt and sage to the ground meat. To be sure the sausage has enough flavor, I recommend you fry some up to taste before you start stuff the casing.
Place the meat in the freezer again while your are getting the stuffer ready.

Slip the casing onto the pipe and finish with a small knot at the end. Feed the stuffer (I use a hand grinder that has a stuffer kit) and gently fill the casing. At last, when all meat is stuffed, twist off into 5-6” lengths. If you see any air bubbles just prick the skin with a needle, the skin will seal again. Now you should really let the sausages hang in your refrigerator for at least a day before cooking them or freezing them. (but I can’t really wait…)

I prefer to BBQ the sausages with a twig of rosemary. I serve them with a tomato salsa and a fresh salad.

See also recipe for my venison sausage recipe here

I feel more and more secure about using our pressure cooker even if I sometimes still think its going to explode. In this dish it may look like it actually happened, as it’s not a particularity attractive meal! However this hearty stew is perfect for lazy evenings when its freezing cold outside. It’s warm and delicious and shamelessly easy to make…

(for two people)

6-7 slices of bacon
1 medium onion
fresh or dried thyme
one small parsnip
one medium potatoe
a small piece of celery
1 cup (240 ml) dried split peas
2 ¾ cups (650 ml) of stock (preferable your own home made: veg., meat or chicken)
1-2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic
(salt and pepper)

Cut the bacon into thin slices and fry in a pan on medium heat until it starts to get a little crisp. Chop the onions and sauté in butter or with remaining bacon fat on very low heat until soft and almost transparent. At the end add some thyme (if using dried). Place onion, bacon, split peas (rinsed), chopped potato and parsnip in the pressure cooker. Add stock, bay leaves and press in some garlic. (If necessary season w/ salt and pepper). Stir everything and bring the mixture to a boil. Close the lid and bring pressure to high until the steamer begins to steam. Lower the heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat and let cool. When the pressure has completely gone open the lid.

Serve the stew with a nice ale.

We use both yellow or green spit peas for this dish. However I have noticed that the yellow split peas gets mushier and at the same time drier. Therefore I cook them for only 13 minutes and use just a little bit more stock. You can also use other vegetables such as: turnip, carrot and celery. This recipe came originally from a soup recipe at cd kitchen.

Serve with your favorite pasta and top with fresh grated Parmesan.