Recipes > Appetizers > Butternut Squash Duck Lasagna

Butternut Squash Duck Lasagna

Name: Butternut Squash Duck Lasagna
Total time: 240 min
Cuisine: Europe
Ingredients: 1 Maple Leaf Farms Duck Leg and Thigh; 2 Tbsp Salt; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 1 tsp Shallot, minced; 1/2 cup Maple Leaf Farms Rendered Duck Fat; 1 Butternut Squash Neck, cut into 1/8" rounds (16 pc); 1/8 cup Maple Leaf Farms Rendered Duck Fat; 1/4 cup Flour; 2 1/4 cups Whole Milk, scalded; 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated; 1 cup Manchego Cheese, grated, divided; Salt and White Pepper to taste; 1/2 cup Fresh Spinach, finely chopped; 1 cup Ricotta Cheese; 1 cup Duck Confit Meat (from leg/thigh), finely diced; 1 tsp Shallot, minced; 1 tsp Garlic, minced; 6 Baby Portobello Mushrooms, finely diced; Fresh Thyme

Student Grand Prize 2016 Chef Recipe Contest, Rebecca Alarcon, Houston Community College, Houston, TX

Ingredients

1 Maple Leaf Farms Duck Leg and Thigh
2 Tbsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Shallot, minced
1/2 cup Maple Leaf Farms Rendered Duck Fat
1 Butternut Squash Neck, cut into 1/8" rounds (16 pc)
1/8 cup Maple Leaf Farms Rendered Duck Fat
1/4 cup Flour
2 1/4 cups Whole Milk, scalded
1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
1 cup Manchego Cheese, grated, divided
Salt and White Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Fresh Spinach, finely chopped
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Duck Confit Meat (from leg/thigh), finely diced
1 tsp Shallot, minced
1 tsp Garlic, minced
6 Baby Portobello Mushrooms, finely diced
Fresh Thyme

Directions

Duck Legs

1
Prepare the duck leg by rubbing in salt, pepper and shallot.
2
Refrigerate for 24 hours. Note: While curing duck, you may prepare the butternut rounds, Bechamel and Spinach/Ricotta mixture.
3
After curing duck for 24 hours, place duck and 1/2 cup duck fat in a pan.
4
Place in preheated oven (275 degrees F). Allow duck to cook until tender or falling off bone, approximately 4 hours.
5
Pull duck from fat; allow to rest for 20 minutes. Pull meat from bone and dice finely.

Butternut Squash Rounds

1
Using a long-necked butternut squash, cut off neck and peel. Set remainder aside for another use.
2
Carefully use a mandoline or knife to cut 1/8" slices of the neck.
3
Wrap in plastic and store in refrigerator.

Bechamel Sauce

1
In sauce pan, heat duck fat; whisk in flour.
2
Cook the roux for 5 minutes, and then add scalded milk.
3
Whisk briskly, ensuring there are no lumps.
4
Grate nutmeg into sauce.
5
Add salt and white pepper to taste.
6
Simmer for 20 minutes; stirring frequently.
7
Add 3/4 cup manchego, reserving the rest for later.
8
Remove from heat after ingredients are well-incorporated.
9
Cool and refrigerate.

Spinach/Ricotta Mixture

1
Finely chop spinach.
2
Fold into ricotta.
3
Store in refrigerator.

Duck Confit and Mushroom Mixture

1
On medium heat, sauté shallot, garlic, duck confit and mushrooms.
2
After all ingredients are added, lower heat and sauté for 10-15 minutes.
3
Pull off heat and allow to cool slightly. *Keep all the ingredients cool or room temperature. Pull from refrigerator and begin to assemble lasagnas.

Lasagna Assembly

1
Place four butternut rounds down on nonstick baking sheet.
2
Using a small spatula, spread the cool Bechamel on the rounds.
3
Spoon a small amount of Spinach/Ricotta mixture on top of the Bechamel.
4
Spoon a small amount of Duck/Mushroom mixture on the Spinach/Ricotta mixture.
5
Repeat with the butternut rounds, Spinach/Ricotta and Duck/Mushroom, for four layers.
6
On the top layer, spread a thin layer of Bechamel.
7
Using a skewer, pierce the mini-lasagnas in the middle to keep the layers in place.
8
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure the rounds are cooked and the top layer is golden brown.
9
During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove skewers and top with remaining manchego.