A rule of cooking in Jenise's kitchen: wet meats go with dry veggies, and dry meats go with wet veggies. So to serve something like a simple leg of duck confit, though spectactular in and of itself, I lean toward an accompaniament (I rarely serve more than two items on a main dish plate, except for garnish) that's got an ooze factor. But I never nailed down that ultimate combination until I found and tried Thomas Keller's recipe for duck confit where the crispened leg quarter (he pan fries and then roasts, where I simply bake) is served on a bed of brussels sprouts napped in a tangy mustard sauce. That, with a starter of bibb lettuce and herbs in vinaigrette and a bottle of pinot noir is a perfect Lyonnaise bistro dinner.
From Keller's book Bouchon but with my modifications for simplicity and making this a recipe for two:
2 pieces duck confit
12 brussels sprouts
1 tblsp minced shallots
1 tsp minced thyme
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
3/4 c chicken stock
2 tbslp Dijon mustard
2 tblsp creme fraiche
1 tblsp minced chives
Remove as much of the fat from the legs as you can without damaging them.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Line a baking sheet with a clean towel. Remove and discard the tougher outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Trim the bottom of the root ends and cut a small slit in the center of each root end. Place in the ice bath for five minutes to chill. Cook half the brussels sprouts at a time in the boiling water for about five minutes, then remove to the ice bath. Once chilled, drain. The sprouts will hold several hours at room temp or be refrigerated up to a day at this point.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise, set aside.
Heat a nonstick skillet thoroughly, then carefully add the duck pieces skin side down--stand back, the moisture in the fat in the skin will pop. Saute the legs for 5-6 minutes on med heat or unitl the skin is a rich golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat, drain the fat to a baking dish large enough for the legs in a single layer, place the legs in skin side up, then transfer to the oven to roast for about eight minutes. (Alternatively, do not pan-fry, but roast the duck legs on a rack in a hot 450 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until crispy--it's not only easier, but I prefer it for it's all-over crispiness)
Meanwhile, discard all but about 2 tsp of the fat remaining in the skillet. Rturn the skillet to medium-high heat and add the shallots, thyme and garlic. Sweat them for about a minute, then add the stock and simmer for about two minutes. Whick in the mustard and creme fraiche. Add the brussels sprouts and simmer until the sprouts are warmed through and the sauce is reduced enough to coat the sprouts. Remove from the heat and stir in the chives.
Divide the sprouts between two plates and top each with a duck leg.
