Spiced Duck Pot Pie

Spiced duck pot pie

Dare to mix things up with a duck pot pie filled with Thanksgiving flavors. Serve as a single dish or use small, individual crocks.
2017 Recipe Contest 1st Runner Up, Ellen Verdugo, Gloucester, MA

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Chicken Stock (can substitute Duck Stock or Water)

  • 1 Bay Leaf

  • 1 medium Red Onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 large stalk Celery, roughly chopped

  • 1 cup Roughly Chopped Purple Carrots (or substitute regular or mixed carrots)

  • 1 cup Roughly Chopped Parsnips

  • 1 cup Cubed Sugar Pumpkin (or Butternut Squash)

  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

  • 1 cup Soft Dried Prunes (halved if large)

  • 1/4 cup White Wine

  • 5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, divided, with 3 Tbsp. cut into 1/2-inch cubes and placed in freezer

  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp. All-purpose Flour, divided

  • 2 tsp. Chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves

  • 1/2 tsp. Quatre Epices (French Four Spice)

  • 1/4 tsp. Salt

  • 3 Tbsp. Puréed Pumpkin Pie Mix (very cold)

  • 2 Tbsp. Ice-cold Vodka (can substitute Water)

  • 1 Egg

  • Water

Directions

  • 1

    Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pie Filling:

  • 1

    Bring roast duck halves to room temperature. Remove from packaging; discard orange sauce, if included. Remove skin and fat from ducks. Chop and set aside.

  • 2

    In a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, slowly cook duck skin and fat for about 10 minutes. Strain rendered fat into a small bowl to equal 2 tablespoons and place in freezer. Continue to cook the remaining skin until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes more. Remove from skillet, chop finely, and set "cracklings" aside.

  • 3

    Remove duck meat from bones with fork into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Place duck bones in a saucepan with chicken stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Cool then remove bones and bay leaf, and reserve stock.

  • 4

    To skillet over medium heat, add onion, celery, carrots, parsnips, pumpkin and a few grinds of salt and black pepper. Allow to brown a bit, about 15 minutes. Add prunes and wine and cook 5 minutes more. Add duck meat to skillet and stir to combine. Pour mixture into baking dish or casserole dish and keep warm.

  • 5

    Add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet. Add 2 tablespoons flour; stir and cook about 2 minutes. Add thyme leaves and quatre epices. Add reserved stock. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes more to thicken a bit. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; then pour sauce over mixture in baking dish. Cover to keep warm.

For Pastry:

  • 1

    In a food processor, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, salt and 3 tablespoons reserved duck skin cracklings. Pulse a few times to mix well. Add 3 tablespoons cubed butter, duck fat (from freezer) and pumpkin purée and pulse about 8-10 times until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the vodka 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until dough holds together. Only if necessary, add an additional tablespoon of water.

  • 2

    Tip dough out of food processor and shape into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least an hour. Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit 5 minutes.

  • 3

    Dust work surface with flour and roll dough to a size to fit baking dish. Alternately, roll dough into a circle, and use shaped cookie cutters to make pastry shapes to cover the top.

  • 4

    Place single-crust or pastry shapes atop the pot pie. Blend an egg and a bit of water; evenly brush dough with the egg wash.

  • 5

    Place baking dish in oven and bake until pastry is crisp and golden, and filling is hot, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

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Rating Summary
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Prep Time: 90 min
Cook Time: 97 min
Ready Time: 3 Hours 7 Minutes
Servings: 4 servings