Whole Duck in the Pressure Cooker

This being the season for excess, I could not resist when my market had a special on free range, nothing added whole duck –  “Ingredients: Duck.”

I do love me a bit of pan-fried duck, but the actual wrangling of getting the duck into pieces is kindofa pain, so, I thought I’d try leaving it whole.

And doing it in the pressure cooker. Thing is, I couldn’t find pressure cooker duck recipes.

So…

I consulted my chicken in a pressure cooker recipe and made a few, minor changes – mostly replacing the white wine with Cointreau, because, who does not like orange and duck? I also substituted almond flour for all purpose when thickening the sauce, making this recipe perfect for duck loving but gluten intolerant folk.

And the thing is – it worked a treat! I think that next time, I will bump up the pressure cooker time to 30 minutes, but, other than that, this recipe is a keeper.

INGREDIENTS
•1 whole duck
•1/4 cup juice from a jar of peperoncini (or, just use white vinegar)
•1/2 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1 tsp paprika
•1 tbsp veggie oil
•1 cup diced sweet onion
•2 cups sliced peppers
•8 oz sliced ‘shrooms
•1 cup thinly sliced carrot
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 tsp dried rosemary
•2 tbsp almond flour
•1/2 cup Cointreau
•3/4 cup chicken stock
•2 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•2 tbsp unsalted butter

*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.

Remove the giblets and neck from the duck, then rub the peperoncini juice inside and over the duck.

Set aside to rest for ten minutes.

Pat the duck dry and season inside and out with the salt, black and Aleppo pepper, and paprika.

Set your multi pot to “Brown” add the oil, and then the duck, breast side down.

Cook for four minutes, then flip the duck (I am not gonna lie here – this can be tricky) and cook for another four minutes; until both sides are nicely browned.

Transfer the duck to a platter, then remove all but one tablespoon of cooking fat from the pressure cooker.

Add all the veggies, except for the ‘shrooms, and cook for ten minutes, until tender.

Stir in the Cointreau, scraping up any browned bits that might be stick to the bottom of the pan, and cook for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.

Stir in the chicken stock and the Sherry Peppers Sauce, then place the duck, breast side up, in the pot.

Lock the lid in place, and set your pot for high pressure.

Note: I did my duck for 25 minutes, but think it might could’ve done with a bit more time, so I would go for 30 minutes.

Once the cycle is complete, turn off the pot, quick release the pressure (mind the steam), and transfer the duck to a (clean) platter, cover with foil, and let rest.

Set your cooker to “Sauté” and stir in the almond flour.

Cook for about five minutes, then add the ‘shrooms and continue to cook on the “Sauté” setting until the sauce has thickened nicely.

Carve the duck and serve with the Cointreau gravy over rice.

I will be honest, this was not Rich’s favorite dinner, but he does not like duck as much as I do, so I am gonna just tell you to make this duck; it is wicked good!