Duck Pot Pie

I may have mentioned that I treated myself to a duck for Easter dinner. It was delicious. The problem was I was left with a lot of left-over duck, and I couldn’t bear to waste it. So I went looking for “leftover duck” recipes on line.

I was surprised by how many there were (I am not alone!). I found one that sounded ideal, but it was given a fancy French name, and there was nothing French about the recipe. In fact it was a duck pot pie with a potato topping. It tasted good whatever the name.

It’s not hard to make. There are three layers: mushrooms on the bottom, duck in what is basically a duck gravy, and a thick mashed potato topping,  all cooked together in a hot oven. Half the work is cutting things up and mashing the potatoes.

Duck Pot Pie

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

The potato layer (make the potatoes first)

4 large potatoes (russet baking potatoes work well)

2-3 bay leaves

1 cup milk or cream

2 Tblsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Add the bay leaves to the water if you want. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and mash them with the butter, milk or cream, and salt and pepper (you can make them as coarse as you want, anywhere from chunks to a smooth puree). Remove the potatoes from the heat and set aside.

The duck layer

Note: If you plan ahead, you may have some lovely rendered duck fat to use in place of the butter for the gravy. If you forgot, I discovered that just warming the duck carcass in the microwave for a few minutes produced a bit more, which has lovely flavor. You can combine it with the butter.

Ingredients:

2 cups (more or less) chopped duck pieces

Duck fat or butter/oil mixture

½ onion, peeled and sliced or chopped, or a couple of shallots

1 cup pan juices (if they’re gone, use white wine or stock)

1 cup water (for 2 cups liquid total)

1 Tblsp butter

1 Tblsp flour

Bay leaf and thyme, if you want

A handful of mushrooms

Instructions:

Slice the mushrooms thinly.

Melt the duck fat (or a combination of cooking oil and butter) and saute the onion or shallots until they are soft.

Add the duck meat and heat through.

Add the pan juices and water and bring to a simmer (not quite boiling).

In a small bowl, mix the flour and butter together to make a paste. Add to the pan with the juices and the duck and whisk together until the sauce starts to thicken.

Putting it all together:

Butter a gratin pan (not too deep) and arrange the mushroom slices on the bottom (you don’t need to cook them first)

Spoon the duck and sauce over the mushrooms, then spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and bake for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown.

Serve warm. And voila! The duck is gone.