Super speshul Valentimes dinner for ur speshul flower (or, ya know, friday night)

Let's get one thing straight - I do not celebrate Valentine's Day.  I have a husband and I love him and all, but after the obnoxiousness of the holiday season, I'm ready to mow down any further commercial guilt-trips about proving our love with fugly jewelry, Scarface-style.  Blech.  That's not to say, however, that you shouldn't show someone you love how much you care by feeding them a delicious meal of good, nutritious foods.  This duck preparation is super delicious, easy, and fancy, so fix it up for your sweetie, for your cat, for a friend, your family, or just for yourself.  You're worth it.

Braised Duck Legs with Red Wine and Fruit, Cauliflower Puree, and Greens

(via Epicurious, I found this recipe on my phone while in the supermarket, with duck legs in my basket, and wishing for something braised and red-winey... it takes a while to cook, but it is SO good)

1-2 duck leg portions per person (1 if you have other courses, like fancy chocolates for dessert, 2 if you've done an epic crossfit WOD beforehand)
1/2 C dry red wine
1-2 heads (yes, heads) of garlic, separated into cloves, peeled, and left whole (this time I threw a peeled and quartered shallot in, as well, just for fun...)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme, or ~1/2t dried thyme works just fine
1 C dried fruit of your choice - I have always used dried sour cherries, but the recipe suggests a mix of chopped dried apricots, chopped prunes, and/or raisins
3-5 C chicken broth

Garlic, shallots, and cherries, ready to go

Preheat oven to 350F

Season the duck legs with salt and pepper, and heat a kettle large enough to hold all the meat over medium-high heat.  Place duck legs skin side down in the hot pan in a single layer, and cook until the skin is dark, mahogany-colored and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.  Moderate the heat so nothing burns.  Remove the fat that renders into the pan off with a bulb baster as it cooks.  (Sidebar: 1) Be patient at this step, you want all the (delicious) fat to render out of the skin.  Crispy duck skin = yum, flabby duck skin = gross. 2) SAVE THE FAT!  Collect it in a small Mason jar and keep it in the fridge, it is delicious to cook with!!)
Once the skin side is nicely rendered, turn the legs and brown the other side for 3-5 minutes.  Set aside.

Here's my duck fat jar

Legs in the pot, skin side down

Nice dark rendered duck skin, yum yum.

Pour off any remaining fat (into your jar!) and put back on the heat.  Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits with a spoon.  Boil the wine until it is reduced to a syrup-like consistency (coats a the back of a spoon), then add the garlic, thyme, 1/2 the fruit.  Put the duck back in the pot, skin side up, and add stock until the tops of the duck legs just stick out of the surface.  Bring to a simmer, then put it in the oven, uncovered, to braise for about 2 hours. 

(Meanwhile you can make the cauliflower, and sit back and relax, see below)

All braised and happy

When the braise is finished, remove the duck legs to a warm platter.  Pour braising liquid into a glass measuring cup, let settle, and skim off any fat that's risen to the top, then pour through a strainer back into your pot, and press on the solids to get all the good flavor out (alternatively, use a fat separator pitcher like this to de-grease and strain at the same time).  Add the rest of the fruit to the sauce and simmer/reduce for about 5 minutes.  

The rest of the cherries into the sauce

Cauliflower Puree

(this has proven to be a really great alternative to mashed potatoes, and is super quick to make)

1 head of cauliflower
2 T butter
Salt & Pepper

Wash cauliflower and remove the leaves, cut into quarters, then slice off the core in the middle.  Separate into florets (don't have to be perfect, but similar sized chunks will ensure even cooking), put in a microwave-safe container, and steam in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until nice and soft.  Add the butter and seasonings, and then either puree in a blender or food processor, or blend it up right in the microwave container with an immersion blender.  Ready to serve!

I didn't get a perfectly smooth puree this time, but it was still delicious

Serve the duck, cauliflower, and sauce with a side of sauteed spinach or other greens, or a green salad. You can thank me later.