Roasted Duck and Apples

It is traditional in Russia to serve duck with apples during holidays or special occasions. In Poland it is also a popular festive winter meal. This recipe is a simple version of the classic dish. It uses only minimal ingredients to make a feast. Flour, garlic, salt and butter are mixed together and rubbed all over the duck to give it flavor, make it crisp, and allow it to develop a gorgeous golden color. It is cooked in the oven together with hard, juicy and tart apples, and deglazed with red wine. Roasted duck tastes and smells like Christmas in Russia.

To make this dish, choose hard green apples with a light sour taste. Russians typically use local Antonov apples for baking but the tart and tangy Granny Smith apples, will do just as fine. Apples that are too sweet tend to become too mushy when baked in the oven for an hour or so. Use apples that are hard enough to stand up to heat for long periods and still retain a slight crunch. It should also caramelize beautifully and develop a deep sweetness. Its acid and juice will help make the duck meat fragrant and tender. There are plenty of videos for cooking recipes with a touch of a button.

The natural intense and rich in flavor of duck meat is a rare treat not as common as chicken or beef. Although it has considerably darker meat than chicken or turkey, it is still considered a “white” meat. Acidic fruits such as apples balance the distinct exotic taste of duck. It creates a pleasantly unusual experience in the palate.

Ingredients

1 (4 lb.) duck
1 tablespoon flour
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 lb. apples (cored and cut in half)
¼ cup dry red wine

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, blend the flour, garlic, salt and butter. Then rub this mixture all over the duck.

3. Carefully place the duck on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Arrange the apples all around the duck, flat side down. Place in the preheated oven.

4. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. after 15 minutes, Roast for another 1 ½ hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 165 degrees F.

5. During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add the wine to roasting pan.

Apple Pineapple Muffins

In this simple but special recipe applesauce and crushed pineapple combine to make sweet and tangy muffins. You need pasty flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, ground cinnamon, egg whites, crushed pineapple, unsweetened applesauce, pure vanilla extract, tart apple, and milk to make a light textured yet moist and scrumptious apple pineapple muffins. All the ingredients should be at room temperature before you begin making the recipe.

You can’t just whip everything together and place it in the tin when it comes to making heavenly muffins and hope it bakes perfectly in both texture and taste. The order of combining the ingredients is crucial. They dry ingredients and the wet ingredients should be blended separately. Then fold them in together gradually. Do not over mix the batter as this will produce tough and dry muffins. The egg whites need to be beaten separately alone until it is frothy and soft peaks form. This is crucial for creating a light texture when the muffins bake in the oven. The egg whites should be folded in the rest of the moist ingredients, not mixed. Fold in the egg whites gently with the use of a spatula. More online cooking videos, baking including is available at the link.

Before you make the batter the unsweetened applesauce must be ready. Ready-made applesauce is often available in the grocery but it is also quite easy to do at home. To make a simple unsweetened applesauce all you need are apples and lemon juice. Peel, core and slice the apples into chunks and place them in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. Add half as much water in proportion to the apples. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once the apples boil reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and strain. Puree the apples in a food processor or blender and add lemon juice. Then place the mixture in the pot and bring to a boil. Before using to make muffins allow the applesauce to come to room temperature or place in the jar for future use.

Ingredients

3 cups pastry flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 egg whites (room temperature)1 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tart apple (cored, peeled, and diced)
½ cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With nonstick spray coat a muffin tin or line the cups with paper.

2. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. In an electric mixer bowl, whip the egg whites on medium speed, until frothy. Whip on high until soft peaks form.

3. Stir together the pineapple, applesauce, vanilla, apple, and milk in another large bowl. Fold in the egg whites. To the pineapple mixture add about a third of the flour mixture, then fold the ingredients together. Keep adding the flour mixture a third at a time, folding it in gently, until all the ingredients are just combined.

4. Pour the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full. On a baking sheet place the muffin tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and for 5 minutes cool in the muffin tin. Then turn out the muffins onto a wire rack and cool completely.