Go Back
duck rillettes in jar ©️ Nel Brouwer-van den Bergh

Duck Rillettes

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
cooling and resting time 11 hours
Total Time 20 hours 10 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French
Servings 20

Ingredients
  

the meats

  • 1 whole duck, organs removed
  • 0.7 lb lean pork with fat rim

fillings for the inside of the duck

  • 6 slices fresh ginger
  • 10 cloves of garlic
  • 1 orange, use the zest and cut in stripes
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper (black preferred)

spice rub for the duck

  • 1.5 tbsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp pepper (black preferred)
  • 2 tsp thyme (dried is fine)

spice rub for the pork

  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp thyme

to bring it together

  • 1 tbsp brandy: cognac or Armagnac preferred
  • 1 tsp orange zest grated
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp chopped chives
  • 1 pinch cayenne or Sichuan pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

prepare the meats

  • mix the ingredients of the rub mix
  • mix the spices, herbs and salt for the inner fillings
  • rinse the duck and hang on the neck to dry
  • cut of the head and discard
  • rub the duck on the outside and the inside with the pepper salt rub
  • fill the interior of the duck with the 'inner filings'
  • place the duck on aluminum foil, breast side up
  • fold the foil tight around the duck, such that juices and fat can be trapped inside the wrapped foil
  • For the pork, season with pepper, salt and thyme
  • wrap the pork also in foil and place in an oven baking dish

the slow cook

  • Place the wrapped duck in the oven at 250 F (120 C) for 6 h
  • Thereafter remove the baking dish with the duck and check if the meat comes off, but should not fall from the bone
  • Separately place the pork also in a baking dish in the oven at 320 F (160 C) for 3 h
  • Thereafter remove the baking dish with the pork

the work up of the juices

  • The duck will have generated juices and fat. Collect these and place in a pan and heat up
  • When all is liquid again, strain the mixture and let the mixture cool down. The fat will be visible on top and the lower aqueous phase will become a gel upon cooling. After cooling in the fridge, separate with a spoon the fat from the gel
  • The pork's juices are collected, heated up and let separate as well

the pulling of the meat

  • When the duck has cooled down, pull the meat from the bones, but keep the bones, skin and inner fillings separate to make a delicious broth (the latter is not part of this recipe)
  • Also cut the pork meat in smaller pieces.
  • Mix the meat together and cool down further

making the rillettes

  • When making the rillettes, add all ingredients needed 'to bring it together' into the meats.
  • Then add the melted duck fat, some of the (gelly) duck broth and some pork fat to the meat mixture and mix with a fork. the total amount of fat should be around 30-35% of the weight of the total mixture
  • Fill the mixture in sterile glass jars and compact it. Then refrigerate over night
  • The next day, melt some pork fat and cover the mixture to seal it from the air. This is to keep the rillettes in good condition for a long time in the fridge.

Notes

Method: oven baking
Food allergy & intolerance information: none
Keyword duck and pork rillettes, duck rillettes