Duck Rillettes

Ingredients

• 400 g duck breast fillet (with fat layer)
• Salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp freshly chopped thyme
• 1 tsp chopped marjoram
• 150 g goose lard
• 0.1 l dry white wine
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 sour apple
• 250 g melon flesh (e.g., honeydew)
• 1 handful watercress
• pepper (ground)
• 4 slices crusty bread

Instructions

1. 1.

   Separate the fat layer from the duck breasts. Rub the meat with 1.5 tbsp salt, sugar, thyme and marjoram, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2. 2.

   Afterward cut the fat into fine cubes and sauté in a pot. Add goose lard, wine and bay leaves. Remove the duck from the wrap, cut into small pieces and simmer gently in the fat mixture for about 2 hours until tender. Peel the apple, quarter it, remove the core and dice the quarters finely. After about 1.5 hours add them to the lard.

3. 3.

   Fill the mixture into small stoneware dishes, ensuring the meat does not touch the edges or protrude above the surface. The meat must be covered with fat on all sides. First pour a little fat in, let it cool, then add the meat. Finally cover with more fat and allow to cool completely.

4. 4.

   Dice the melon. Rinse the watercress and shake dry.

5. 5.

   Season the duck rillettes with salt and pepper and spread onto bread slices. Top with watercress and melon cubes, sprinkle with pepper and serve.