Savory Duck Fat Doughnuts: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves8

Active time:35 min
Start to finish:2 3/4 hr

August 2009

We tried to imagine a duck fat recipe to end all duck fat recipes, and who knows—maybe these spectacular doughnuts will kick off a future craze. Because duck fat is used in a number of different ways here, you might expect the doughnuts to bombard your senses, but they’re actually extremely light and delicate. The dough—based on bomboloni, with duck fat subbing for butter—is soft as a baby’s bottom and a dream to work with. Tender shreds of duck confit, mixed with a dab of sour cherry compote for sweetness, comprise the filling. Finally, the doughnuts are fried in duck fat, which bestows a crispness and an extra hint of gamy savor. Fabulous.

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
Scant 1/2 cup warm whole milk (105-115°F)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus additional for dusting
1 large egg
About 4 cups rendered duck fat, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 confit duck leg
2 tablespoons sour cherry or red currant preserves plus additional for serving

Equipment:

a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; a deep-fat thermometer

Stir together yeast and warm milk in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) Mix in 3/4 cup flour at low speed until combined. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 1 hour.
At low speed, mix in egg, 2 Tbsp duck fat, sugar, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup flour until combined, then beat at medium speed until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape dough into center of bowl and dust lightly with additional flour. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and let dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
Discard skin and bones from duck confit, then shred meat. Stir together meat and preserves.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and lightly dust with flour. Punch down dough (it will be soft) and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 16 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, flatten 1 piece of dough and put a heaping tsp duck confit mixture in center. Gather dough up and around filling and pinch to enclose. Roll into a ball and transfer to baking sheet. Make 15 more balls, arranging 1 inch apart on sheet.
Heat 2 inches duck fat in a 2-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat to 350°F. Fry doughnuts in batches of 4, turning frequently, until puffed and golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 350°F between batches. Serve doughnuts hot, with additional preserves.