Duck Soup

We're at that weird time of year where the weather definitely cannot make its mind up. I'm currently sitting in glorious sunshine in my back yard typing this. Yesterday it rained all day. Guess that's April for you!

I managed to grab a bargain at my local supermarket the other day. All my friends will tell you I'm a sucker for the reduced section, and I hit the jackpot with a whole duck that had been reduced from £11 to £4. I grabbed it and basically ran to the tills to pay for it. Once I got home, I had a few good recipes in mind and got straight to it.

I'd been making loads of vegan soups lately (I love lentils and I love vegetables and I love them all combined in soup) but I haven't had a good duck soup in forever.

Duck Soup

Ingredients

Whole duck

Salt/Pepper

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 carrots, sliced

3 potatoes, chopped into chunks

Mushrooms, sliced (as many/few as you like)

Garlic (4-5 cloves)

Enough water to cover

1 large tablespoon crème fraiche

1 large tablespoon soured cream

Method

1. Begin by roasting the duck as per the cooking instructions (mine took 2 hours at 175 degrees). Cook until the juices run clear.

2. Remove duck from oven, and leave to cool. Once cooled, strip all the meat of the duck, saving the skin, the carcass and any fatty bits that might come off.

3. Pop the duck carcass into a pan with 1 of the sliced onions, all the carrots and all the potatoes, and cover with water. Bring this mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to simmer, pop a lid on and leave for about 4/5 hours. (You will need to come back to it every 30 minutes or so for a quick stir, and to help break up the bones).

4. Once this is done, you'll need to strain out the bones. I used a combination of a slotted spoon and a sieve to achieve this - it can be a little messy. Once this is done, put it in a tupperware tub and leave to cool, before putting it in the fridge overnight to cool.

5. The next day, take the stock mixture out of the fridge. The fat will have risen to the top and formed a jelly-like layer at the top - scoop this out and get rid. 

6. In a large pan, melt some butter and throw in your other onion and the mushrooms until they soften. Add the garlic and stir for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the stock. Keep stirring until you have a lovely fragrant smell coming from the pan. Remove the pan from the heat, then it's time to add the crème fraiche and soured cream. Stir until well combined. Put back on the heat on the lowest setting, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the nicest bread you can find and enjoy!

It's a long process, but it's fully worth it! I saved the meat and legs and put them in a cassoulet I did - recipe for that coming soon :)