Duck Confit with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

During last month’s Daring Cook’s cassoulet challenge, there was much chatter in the forums about what to do with the rest of the duck confit people were making. For us, that’s generally an easy one. Aside from continuing to eat cassoulet leftovers, the legs can be pulled out and cooked within about 10 minutes for a quick midweek dinner.
One of our favorite recipes, worth a batch of confit in it’s own right, is this very simple warm salad of duck, mushrooms and Brussels sprouts. It’s not really the prettiest thing to photograph, but of course, we’re really all about the taste here in the Monkeyshines household.

Serves 2
2 duck legs, confited
12 oz Brussels sprouts
8 oz mushrooms (we generally use king trumpets, though chanterelles are also good and regular field mushrooms are fine too)
2 Tbsp shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions:
Remove the duck from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
Wash and trim the sprouts, then cut in half. Microwave the sprouts 2-3 minutes so that they’re still crisp, just starting to get tender, then remove and set aside.
Rinse the mushrooms and slice into bite-sized pieces.
Remove the duck from its container and wipe off any visible fat. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then cook the duck, skin side down for 5 minutes. Pour off excess fat as needed. Turn the legs over and cook just a minute longer, then remove to a cutting board to cool.
Drain excess fat from the skillet, then add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are starting to soften. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until they are nicely browned.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the sprouts and shrooms are cooking, pull the duck meat from the bones and tear or slice into bite-sized pieces. Slice any crispy skin bits into strips.

Spoon the mushrooms and Brussels sprouts onto a plate, top with the duck and garnish with the crispy skin if desired.