Duck Prosciutto

making some duck prosciutto. if we make it to the NH/NE Eggfest, plan is to smoke it there, and serve this. Haven't figured out in exactly what manner, though. First step is to make it....

Hmmmm. what's this?



Well, buried in here are eight beautiful duck breasts. I used an entire box of Kosher salt, so the top is pickling salt, which is frankly the same thing, only finer (table salt) and with some minerals removed (because it can toughen veggies skins, like when making pickles).

The salt covered the breasts for 24 hours, in the fridge. No other prep.

Dug them out and shook off the salt.



Then rinsed them.



They are much firmer than when they go in, and yet they are very moist. Anyone tells you that seasoning a steak with some salt ahead of time will dry out the meat, tell them they are high. hahaha Even this won't dry out the duck breast. It does firm up due to some moisture loss, but they are plump and firm. Hold them at one end and they cantilever out straight as a board. But not dry or hard. Then rinsed them WELL. All salt should be washed off. Patted/dried all sides and dusted with white pepper



wrapped them loosely in cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine



Pretty Maids all in a row...



And hung in a cool, dark place with lots of air circulation. They'll be ready in a week or ten days. Some of these were big.



Plan is to smoke them whole, very low temp (but probably not truly "cold" smoking them. Then to slice thin and serve, with cantaloupe or something complimentary that allows the duck flavor to come through but eases the saltiness.

I imagine (based on the number of times my bacterial-slash-food safety rationale has been called into question here!) that I will have a hard time giving it away. That's the plan. Whatever is left over will go home with me and a breast or two to essexco.

hahaha