Some of the best flavours come from recycling leftovers. Take duck breasts pan-fried with sour dried cherries, for example. In this posti write about how I enjoyed using leftovers to new dishes with minimal effort.
Cooking with leftovers isn’t about skimping and it’s about using the opportunity to innovate. It’s about creativity, resourcefulness, and feeling a bit saintly when you know you’re not throwing food away.
For example when I cook duck breasts with dried sour cherries (first steeped in red wine and a splash of vin cotto – a sweet, slightly syrupy vinegar – it’s not just about enjoying the one dish of duck meat and rich sauce. It is also about “waste not, want not” – what can do with the leftovers? Leftovers can be the building blocks for something new made more delicious by what is left over from that one dish.
Leftovers, by definition, are things we don’t “need,” things that seem unnecessary or redundant. In my kitchen, those “unneeded” ingredients can transform one meal into many.
It does not mean that I never cook something entirely with fresh ingredients, but I welcome using up something from a previous meal to convert into something new. It allows me to be creative and I feel saintly about not wasting food.
Pan fried duck with dried sour cherries
The duck has dried sour cherries that I steeped in some red wine and a dash of vin cotto (slightly sweet), this is for the sauce. If I did not have cherries, I may have used some green or black olives and some capers with perhaps a little dry marsala or white wine to deglaze the pan .
Prepare the Duck
Score the skin of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt and let them sit for about 20 minutes. This helps to draw out excess moisture and ensures crisp skin.
Cook the Duck
Heat a large pan over gentle-medium heat. Add the duck breasts, skin side down, along with a couple of spring onions and a few bay leaves for flavor. Let the duck cook slowly, turning the breasts occasionally to allow the fat to render. Once the fat begins to melt, increase the heat to medium-high to achieve a golden, crispy skin. This whole process should take around 12–15 minutes, depending on the size of your duck breasts and how crispy you like the skin.
Rest the Duck
Once the duck is cooked to your liking, remove it from the pan and cover it loosely with foil or a plate to keep it warm. Let it rest while you finish the sauce.
Make the Cherry Sauce
Pour off most of the duck fat from the pan, leaving behind any brown bits and flavorful juices. Add the dried sour cherries and their soaking liquid (red wine and vin cotto or whatever substitute you’ve used) to the pan to deglaze. Stir, scraping up any caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid simmer for a few minutes, reducing slightly and allowing the cherries to plump up.
Finish the Dish
Return the duck breasts to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Spoon the cherry sauce over the duck and heat everything through for another minute or two, ensuring the flavors meld together.
To Serve
Slice the duck against the grain and drizzle the cherry sauce over the top. Serve immediately with your favorite sides and enjoy the rich, savory-sweet combination.
Notes:
Don’t throw away the leftover duck fat! It can be used for sautéing vegetables or adding a rich flavour to other dishes. Also save any leftover gravy. I used both of these ingredients to make a minestrone.
From Duck Breasts to New Creations
A Duck Breast Salad
After enjoying the pan-seared duck breasts with cherries, I was left with one breast—a perfect opportunity to transform it into something new the following night- a duck salad.
To build the salad, I sliced the leftover duck breast thinly, along with any remaining cherries that had been drained from the sauce. These went on a bed of fresh, crisp vegetables: thinly sliced fennel, spring onions, and a handful of Batavia lettuce. I also added some shaved kohlrabi, roasted pumpkin and potatoes (which I had made as sides for the duck), and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds for crunch.
For the dressing, I used some homemade parsley oil that I had in the fridge. I added a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper and turned it into a dressing for the salad. I could also add this to some labneh and make a perfect accompaniment to boiled new potatoes, roasted vegetables, or as part of a Middle Eastern-inspired meal.
Parsley Oil
Most recipes for parsley oil suggest blanching the parsley (stems and all) in boiling water for about 10 seconds, then cooling it in ice water to preserve the colour. But frankly, I prefer a simpler, more direct approach. Blanching can strip away some of the vitamins, and I find it’s unnecessary to achieve the vibrant flavour I’m after.
Here’s how I make parsley oil:
Ingredients:
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (stems included)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt
Instructions:
Place the parsley (whole, no need to chop) and olive oil into a food processor. Add a pinch of salt.
Blend until completely smooth. The sharper your food processor blades, the better the result, as this helps prevent the oil from tasting too “grassy,” which can sometimes happen when parsley is over-processed.
Pour the mixture into a clean glass jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The paste will settle at the bottom, and the oil will rise to the top.
The next day, line a funnel with muslin (or a fine cheesecloth) and place it over a clean jar.
Carefully pour the parsley oil through the muslin to filter out the paste, then seal the jar and store in the fridge.
This parsley oil is vibrant, with a fresh herbal taste. It is green in colour perfect for a variety of dishes.
I particularly like to stir parsley oil into thick yogurt (labneh) for a tangy, herby alternative to mayonnaise and adds a zesty twist to many dishes – boiled new potatoes, roasted vegetables, or as part of a Middle Eastern-inspired meal.
A sprinkling of ground pink peppercorns can make it even more visually appealing!
Labneh with Parsley Oil
Making labneh at home is incredibly simple, and all you need is Greek yogurt, a cheesecloth (or any fine cloth), and a bit of patience. Here’s a streamlined process for making your own labneh.
Homemade Labneh (Greek Yogurt Strain)
Ingredients:
2 cups plain Greek yogurt (full-fat works best for creamy labneh)
Cheesecloth (or a clean kitchen towel or fine mesh strainer)
A bowl (to catch the liquid)
Instructions:
Prepare the Cheesecloth
Place a piece of cheesecloth (or a clean kitchen towel) over a fine mesh strainer or bowl. If using cheesecloth, make sure it’s large enough to fold over the yogurt once it’s in.
Strain the Yogurt
Spoon the yogurt into the cheesecloth-lined strainer or bowl. Fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the yogurt to cover it.
Let it Drain
Place the bowl in the fridge and let the yogurt strain overnight (or up to 24 hours for a thicker consistency). During this time, the excess liquid (whey) will drain away, leaving you with a thick, creamy labneh.
Transfer and Store
After the yogurt has drained to your desired thickness, transfer the labneh to a clean jar or container. You can drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs, or just enjoy it as is.
Note: The longer you let it strain, the thicker your labneh will be.
Using the duck fat and leftover gravy from the duck to make soup
I usually save duck fat to brown cooked potatoes but this time the duck fat I had saved from the pan became the base for sautéing the vegetables in a hearty soup—more flavourful than using olive oil. With the addition of the bit of leftover duck sauce, I made a minestrone. (which by the way means ‘big soup’ because it usually contains pulses and therefore makes it a thick soup). The sauce added richness and depth to the broth, and I also threw in some cooked borlotti beans—something I always have on hand in my freezer, as I tend to cook extra beans for quick meals. The soup was packed with vegetables: onions, celery, carrots, and even kohlrabi, both the bulb and the tender green tops.
I did make use of those leftovers!
DUCK BREAST, ALCOHOL and EMBELLISHMENTS
Brava, Marisa! Yes there are too many people who waste way too much. We should all be more conscientious about our food. Buona giornata.
Grazie Marisa.