SMOKED DUCK SOUP ANYONE/

 

                        Smoked duck soup anyone?

           Holidays invariably leave us with some leftovers, whether they be turkey, lamb, ham or in my case this year – smoked duck!  Like any thrifty cook, when faced with bones and a bit of meat, the urge is to look for a large pot to hold the bones, trimmings and search for complementary vegetables and carbs to create soup. Before you dismiss the following recipe as irrelevant unless you happen to have a smoked duck, it will undoubtedly serve well using a hambone or even turkey, though the latter may need some flavor adjustments with a dab of liquid smoke.

          Making soup with leftover bones from a duck requires a multiple step cooking plan;  First cook the bones with onions and some flavoring agents, pick meat off the bones that may be included in the soup, strain the liquid and refrigerate it to solidify the fat for easy removal and finally finish the soup with vegetables and carbs before serving. This may sound long, but the hands on time is quite reasonable when you do not count the 2-hr. cooking and overnight refrigeration time. The result is an incredibly rich and flavorful soup, well worth the effort. Any leftover lean meat makes wonderful sandwiches.

                                Smoked duck soup with mushrooms and barley.

          Stock. In a 4 qt. pot combine: duck bones and trimmings; 1 peeled halved onion, 2 peeled parsnips, 3 peeled garlic cloves, one stalk of celery with leaves, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp, thyme, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes,1 tsp. celery seed, 2 tblsp. double strength tomato paste, 6 cloves and 1 tsp. salt. Cover with water, bring to boil and simmer covered for 2 hours. When slightly cooled, remove parsnips, cut in bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Pick any lean meat from the bones, add to the parsnips and discard the bones. Strain the liquid through a sieve over the parsnips and meat and refrigerate.

          Soup prep. Wash ½ cup barley in 3 changes of water. Place in a small pot, add ½ tsp. salt, cover with 3 inches of water, cook for 30 minutes and then drain off any liquid. While barley is cooking, soak 3 oz. wild and 4 wood ear mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms from liquid and cut them into bite size pieces. Strain liquid in a sieve lined with a paper towel and reserve for soup. Peel and dice two large carrots and cut 6 sundried tomatoes into julienne slices.

          Remove stock from refrigerator.  It will be rich enough to have a partially jellied texture, skim and discard the solidified fat from the top and return to the cooking pot. Add vegetables, mushroom liquid and barley, bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of frozen peas, cook an additional 5 minutes, stir in 2 tblsp. red wine vinegar and adjust salt flavoring. Serve hot in shallow bowls. Can be reheated multiple times or frozen for later use.

           Savory buttered scones make a wonderful accompaniment to this soup. They also work well as sliced small sandwiches for any leftover smoked duck.

                                         Savory cheese and pecan scones.

          In a food processor pulse together: 3 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbslp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. paprika. Add 1 and ½ sticks of butter cut in tablespoon sized pieces and pulse until butter is incorporated in rice sized crumbles. Transfer mix to a large bowl and toss with 2/3 cup chopped pecans, 2/3 cup grated Gruyère and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. In a small bowl combine 1 cup buttermilk

with 1 tblsp. thyme and 2 tsp. oregano and pour the whole in a depression made in the flour mix. Quickly mix the dough just until moistened, kneed on a board with a bit of flour and divide in half.  Flatten each half in a large 1-inch-thick circle on a parchment lined pan and divide the circle into 6 even wedges. Brush all with additional buttermilk and sprinkle with white or black sesame seeds.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.  

          To quote a trite question from my husband: “Do you need to serve this soup with ’quackers?” The answer is up to you. 

   (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)