Great Chef Michel Marcais

Duck Confit with Crepe and Berry Compote
Michel Marcais
Michabelle
Hammond LA

Shredded duck fills large crepes which are served with mesclun and a pretty sauce of caramelized blueberries and cranberries. Reduced balsamic vinegar is used to drizzle the greens and the plates. The easy berry compote sauce would be equally wonderful with venison, quail, or pork; substitute chicken stock if you do not have meat stock for the sauce.

Serves 4

1 duck, cleaned and quartered; deboned
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Duck stock to cover (2 to 3 cups)
2 to 3 tablespoons reduced veal stock
1/2 sprig each parsley, thyme, and tarragon, minced

Crepes
3 eggs
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons oil
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Berry Compote Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup cranberries
1 cup reserved braising stock (above)

3 cups mixed greens (mesclun)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced until syrupy

To prepare the duck: Season the duck all over with salt and pepper. Put the duck in a deep saucepan or pot and cover with stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook 1-1/2 hours, until the meat is falling apart. Cool in the stock, then drain, reserving the stock. Remove the skin and shred the meat. Toss the meat with the reduced veal stock, salt and pepper to taste, and herbs, and set aside.

To prepare the crepes: Combine all ingredients except the butter to make a thin batter; add more milk if necessary to make it as thin as heavy cream. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat and pour enough batter into the pan to almost cover the bottom in a thin sheet. Tilt the pan to spread out the batter. Return to heat and cook until the edges of the crepe cook enough to pick up. Flip the crepe and cook on the other side until it just begins to color and the center is cooked through. Set the crepe aside; repeat to make at least 4 large crepes. Extra crepes may be frozen for future use.

To prepare the sauce: Put the sugar in a non-stick saute pan and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts and turns a golden caramel color. Add the berries and stir to coat. Slowly add the stock. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the berries are slightly softened and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Set aside.

To serve: Divide the greens among the plates, placing them off-center. Lay a crepe on a work surface and place a mound of shredded duck on one half of the crepe. Roll up the crepe into a cylinder. With a sharp knife, trim each end diagonally, then cut the crepe in half with a single straight cut. Stand one half upright, point up, next to the greens. Lay the other half beside the greens, point out. Spoon berry sauce over half the plate, and spoon a little over the horizontal portion of the duck crepe. Drizzle reduced balsamic vinegar over the greens and plate.