Name: Duck Pastrami
Yield: Makes 8 to 12 servings
Ingredients: 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 8 Pekin (Long Island) duck breasts or 4 mullard breasts (3 to 6 pounds total); 1 bay leaf, preferably imported (it’s important not to use California bay leaves because they have an aggressive eucalyptus aroma); ⅓ cup pickling spice; ⅔ cup noniodized salt; 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried; ¼ cup powdered dextrose; 2 quarts brown duck broth, chicken broth, or water, or more as needed to cover; 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped; ⅓ cup paprika; 3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns; ⅓ cup coriander seeds

Preparation info

Makes
8 to 12
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Duck Cookbook

By James Peterson

Published 2003

About

Duck pastrami is much like regular beef pastrami, but with a deeper flavor and irresistible richness. Preparing it is a four-step process in which the duck breasts are first brined (plan ahead—this takes 4 days), then rubbed with spices and smoked. Following a preliminary gentle sautéing to rid the breasts of some of their fat, they are then braised to create pastrami. I like pastrami in a sandwich, but you can also put it on little toasts or crackers and serve it as an hors d’oeuvre.