Good Sides for Roast Duck

[nissenpa]

I'm roasting a whole duck for XMas and would like some good sides to go with. It's just DH and I but I don't mind if a recipe or dish makes a lot. I'm cool with leftovers and I know taht a duck does not yield tons of extra meat (probably none the way DH eats!).

Any ideas? Favorite recipes?

[HenryT]

Garlic pureed white beans are one restaurant side for duck (at Chez Piggy in Kingson, Ont.)

[nissenpa]

Right now I'm leaning towards a braised cabbage (trying Karl's recipe this weekend) and a savory mushroom bread pudding because I know DH will love that.

Has anyone tried any of the braised cabbage recipes in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything?

[marlie202]

sweet potato puree and cabbage

[Fleur]

The best accompaniments for duck I ever tasted were Kasha and Red Cabbage with Apples. The earthiness oif the Kasha acts as a foil for the rich duck, and the Cabbage adds an exciting color and taste contrast.

[Andiereid]

Wild rice with pecans and chunks of roasted butternut squash.

[Youffraita]

When I make duck or goose, I usually go for brussels sprouts, parboiled, split in half lengthwise, then sauteed in the duck or goose fat until lightly browned. Also, a nice puree of carrots and turnips (about a pound each), using either more of the extra duck/goose fat or butter and plenty of salt. The puree is even better the second day, so you could make it ahead of time.

[HenryT]

Red cabbage, braised with a little red-currant jelly (or crabapple). The old Time-Life Scandinavian book has a good recipe.

[jillp]

We had duck over the weekend. I made the leek and walnut fritters in this month's Bon Appetit, some of the remaining zinfandel cranberries from Thanksgiving, plus a simple salad and a sparkling pinot noir.

And there was enough duck leftover for duck and wild rice soup last night.

[MMRuth]

For something on the fancier side, I'd suggest "potato balls" - I'm sure there is a proper french name for them - use a melon baller and sautee in goose (or duck) fat - delicious.

[Candy]

Pommes Parisienne. Wonderful potato balls.

[HaagenDazs]

I like sauteed/braised baby bok choy with shitake mushrooms. A little sesame oil goes well at the end if you feel so inclined.

[Karl S]

Well, instead of a traditional sauerkraut, try this (which is very easy on the chef and great as leftovers):

This is classic Marcella Hazan recipe for smothered cabbage (cavolo sofegao) in the Venetian style.

Finely shred a couple of pounds of green or white or savoy cabbage. In a heavy pot (with a cover), saute a finely chopped onion over medium heat in a quarter cup of olive oil until the onion starts to color, then add a clove or two of chopped/minced garlic. Then add the cabbage and toss around. When it's good and coated, add salt and black pepper and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Mix well, and turn the heat down to low and cover. Stir occasionally over the next 90 minutes, and add a tablespoon or two of water if it gets too dry.

I found the leftovers blend magnificently with linguine fini. So you can use a small portion of linguine fini (1-2 oz dry) and amplify with as much cavolo sofegao as you like! Either a garlic/oil sauce or butter/parmesan sauce. Which makes sense when you realize the central European tradition of marrying egg noodles and shredded cabbage (Venice was governed for a time by Austria-Hungary in the 19th century).

[nissenpa]

Thanks Karl!! I'm going to try this out this weekend. Sounds delish!! I love just about anything with cabbage. I eat sauerkraut from an Amish farm almost everyday--it's so good.