LIVING: COOKERY POTS of gifts Potted meat and fish in Kilner jars makes delicious gifts and the basis of irresistible celebratory meals, starters and canapés. Potting was the forerunner of the vac-pac – these will keep in the fridge for at least a week or two, providing gourmet treats at the drop of aAutumn hat. Decorate has the arrived jars to giveand your with gifts it comesa festive flourish. a wealthPhotographer: of pumpkins Marielou Avery andFood writer squashes & Denman tutor lindy bringing wildsmith rich

Simple Confit flavour,de canard textureor potted duckand colourINGREDIENTS to our table Serves 4 or makes 4 x 250g Kilner jars or 2 x 500g jars k 4 duck legs k 1 tbsp coarse sea salt Confit de canard is one of the most useful winter recipes. It k 4 thyme sprigs makes a deliciously simple and inexpensive main course that k 1 bay leaf can be made ahead of time with minimum fuss, then cooked k 2 garlic cloves, crushed overnight. What's left can be served on crostini. Alternatively, k Juice and zest (cut into julienne) of 1 orange to make potted duck, strip the meat off the bones, pot and k 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper give as presents this Christmas. k ½ tsp ground cinnamon k 100ml good stock k 100g rendered pork, duck or goose fat k mashed potato to serve (optional)

1 In advance, put the duck legs in a single layer in a shallow, non-corrosive dish, sprinkle with the salt, cover with cling film, place a weight on it and leave overnight in a cool place. 2 The following day, remove the weight and cling film, pour off the liquid that has seeped from the duck, wipe the duck legs with a paper towel and transfer to an ovenproof dish with a lid. Arrange (in a single layer), and sprinkle the garlic, zest, spices and orange juice on top. Pour the stock around the legs and spoon the rendered fat over them. 3 Fill the space above the duck legs with dampened, crinkled greaseproof paper. 4 Cover the dish and cook in a very low oven, 1100 C or your oven’s lowest setting, or a slow cooker, for eight hours or overnight. 5 Leave to rest before serving with mashed potato.

Al ternATIvely, to pot 1 Pour off all the excess fat and juices and reserve. Pull the meat off the bones and transfer it to a sterile jar, discarding the skin and bones. Press down gently, then top up the jar with duck fat and juices. 2 Alternatively, if you prefer a smooth, pate-like finish, process the duck meat with enough stock to make a smooth paste, add two tablespoons of duck fat and blend well. Then transfer the paste to the jar and cover with a thick layer of the duck fat. 3 In either case, if bubbles form between the sides of the jar and the meat, gently tap the jar on the work surface. If this does not work, run a clean skewer into the bubble to release S imple Confit de Canard, the air. Leave to cool and the fat will solidify, creating a Per 100g Energy (kcal) 317, Fat (g) 31, natural seal. If any bits of duck stand proud of the fat, add Of which saturates (g) 9, Carbohydrate extra rendered fat to cover. Seal the jar when quite cold. It (g) 1, Of which sugars (g) 0.4, Salt (g) 1.8 will keep in the fridge for a week or two – if you can resist it for that long!

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NOV/DEC/COOKERY.indd 2 06/11/2014 09:43 LIVING: COOKERY WI Life November & December 2014 48 Potted Crab Makes 6 ramekins or 3-4 small Kilners. Serves 6 as starter

This is brilliant way to use inexpensive brown crabmeat. Make in ramekins in advance and freeze to serve anytime, or fill small Kilner jars to give as presents. Serve with drinks, on Melba or hot brown toast with rocket, or with crostini.

INGREDIENTS butter, strain it through a sieve. k 300g unsalted clarified butter 2 Put the brown meat into a k 300g brown crabmeat blender, add half the cooled butter, k Chilli, finely chopped the juice of a lemon and the salt k Thyme. a few sprigs and pepper and whiz until smooth. k Juice of 1 lemon Taste and add extra seasoning if k Salt and pepper necessary. Divide the crab mixture k 6 buttered ramekins or 2 small between the ramekins or Kilner jars. Kilner jars 3 Transfer the filled pots to a k Extra thyme for serving smallish roasting tin and add boiling water so that it comes half way 1 Pre-heat the oven to 1600 C/ up the sides of the pots. Cook for Gas 2. In advance, put the butter 25 minutes in the preheated oven. in a small pan, add a few sprigs Leave to cool. of thyme and a pinch of finely 4 When quite cold and set, pour a chopped chilli and set over a low film of melted butter over the top heat to melt. When the butter has to seal the crabmeat in. Garnish melted, take the pan off the heat with a small sprig of thyme. Put in and leave it to stand for an hour. the fridge to set. If using Kilner jars, Carefully pour off the clarified seal the pots. butter, which has risen to the top 5 Take the potted crab out of the Potted crab (serves 6) of the pan, leaving the cloudy fridge twenty minutes before Per 100g Energy (kcal) 442, Fat (g) 45, substance, the thyme and chilli serving to bring back to ambient Of which saturates (g) 26, Carbohydrate in the pan. If any bits of thyme or temperature and serve with Melba (g) 1.5, Of which sugars (g) 0, Salt (g) 1.6 chilli have escaped into the clarified or hot buttered toast.

INGREDIENTS Per 100g Energy (kcal) k 500g shoulder of venison or wild boar, 194, Fat (g) 12, Of cut into bite sized cubes which saturates (g) 4, k 200ml red wine Carbohydrate (g) 3.5, k 1 blade of mace Of which sugars (g) k 1 heaped tsp of juniper berries, crushed 3.5, Salt (g) 0.8 k ½ stick cinnamon k ½ tsp ground black pepper k 1 tsp sugar k 1 tsp salt k 150g melted pork fat k 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

1 Put the venison, spices and sugar in a shallow earthenware dish, add the wine and sprinkle with salt. Cover and leave at room temperature for six hours. 2 Drain off the marinade and reserve; transfer the venison to an oven-proof casserole with a lid, with the spices. Add the pork fat and the jelly and 2 tablespoons marinade. Fill the space above the venison with dampened, crinkled greaseproof Potted diced shoulder of Venison paper. Cover with a lid and set in a very low oven, 800 C or or wild boar with redcurrant jelly lowest gas setting. Leave to cook overnight. Makes 1 x 500g jar or 2 x 250g or 4 x 1.25g 3 In the morning, using a slotted spoon, transfer the venison and the juices (discarding the cinnamon stick), to a 500g Venison and wild boar, like other game meats, are relatively dry on sterile jar, 2 x 250g or 4 x 1.25g jars. Top up with juices and account of their low fat content. Slow cooking these meats in pure fat and leave the contents to set, pushing down any bits of pork fat and then sealing them under the fat transforms the flesh, venison that are poking above the surface. Close the jar. giving it a soft, fall-apart texture. To our 21st century minds, all 4 The fat will rise to the top of the jar and it will set, creating that pork fat can seem a little scary. By slow cooking the meat in a seal to keep the venison fresh. Top up the jar with an extra part marinade and part fat, the saturated fat content of the dish is layer of pork fat should the seal have been broken by any bits lessened. Potting the meat in its own juices rather than fat alone also of venison poking above the surface. Keep in the fridge for a helps reduce the fat content further but it does lessen the softening few days for the flavours to develop before serving. Keeps for effect on the meat. This recipe is a compromise. a week or two.

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