Day 23: Braised Duck in Tomatillo Mole with Fresh Flour Tortillas

Until this dish, I had always thought I hated mole, but that's in part because I thought all mole had chocolate in it. Turns out, I had two things wrong - after this class, I now know:

1. Mole is any sauce based in pre-Columbian Mexican cuisine that’s thickened with seeds or nuts and chilis, and it does NOT necessarily have chocolate in it.
2. I like mole

In this mole, the combination of the tomatillos and the cilantro make the sauce super fresh and bright, while the nuts give it a real richness. I also don’t love duck, but braising the duck and then cooking the sauce in the juices give the whole dish a real depth of flavor, while also making the duck super tender. It was unlike any other mole I have ever had and I have already made it a couple of times since we cooked it in class. Serve with fresh tortillas and a citrus salad for the perfect bite.Recipe adapted from Diana Kennedy

Duck in Tomatillo Mole

Recipe adapted from Diana Kennedy

Ingredients

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2.5 lbs of  duck legs
• 4 ounces pumpkin seeds
• ⅛ tsp (solid pinch) of cumin seeds
• 1 cup cooked and drained tomatillos
• 4 serrano chillies, roughly chopped
• ½ cup diced white onion
• 4 big sprigs of cilantro
• 1 bunch of radish leaves (or arugula, if you don’t have it!)
• 2 large romaine lettuce leaves

Method

1. Season your duck with salt and pepper on both sides and let sit for 15-20 minutes
2. Heat a large dutch oven or braiser. Add the duck, skin side down, and brown until most of the fat has rendered out. Flip the duck so the non-skin side can brown as well. Once browned, turn back over so the duck is skin side down, and then cover with a tightly fitting lid and braise without adding water until the duck is tender, at least 1 hour. Do *not* cook duck meat side down - it will brown too much.
3. While duck is cooking, cook your tomatillos by adding to a pot of boiling water. Tomatillos are done when they have turned army green and are just starting to split (about 5 minutes).
4. Blend the tomatillos with the chillies, diced onion, cilantro radish leaves and romaine into a smooth puree.
5. Toast pumpkin and cumin seeds and then grind finely. Add about ¼ tsp cracked black pepper and the chicken stock, and set aside.
6. When the duck is cooked, take the legs out and drain out the fat, being sure to keep all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Put the pan back on the stove to medium-low heat, and add the blended vegetable mixture. Cook until slightly reduced. Season to taste.
7. Lower the heat and add the pumpkin seed mixture. Do not let the sauce come to a boil. Let the sauce heat through over low heat about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the duck back in and let heat through before serving.

 

Flour Tortillas

Recipe from Joshua boucle, Serious Eats

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp lard or vegetable shortening (can substitute for butter but the tortillas won't be quite as tender)
• ¾ cups warm water (approximately 110 F)

Method:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Rub your fat into the flour mixture using your fingertips. Add water, and then work dough with hands until completely combined and no flour is left in the bowl
3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes
4. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Pat lightly into a small disk and cover each disk of dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rest an additional 15 minutes
5. Preheat cast iron skillet or griddle to 500 F. Place one disk on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into an 8 inch round. Place dough in skillet (no fat added to the pan) and cook until bubbles form on top  and the bottom side has brown spots, 30-60 seconds. Flip tortilla and cook until second side develops brown spots, about 30-60 seconds. Be careful not to let it get too brown, otherwise you’ll have crackers! Transfer tortilla to a plate and cover with a clean cloth. Serve immediately while still warm