Yellow Finn Potato Poutine

From: Chef Jose Garces, Village Whiskey, Philadelphia, PA. This recipe won the Over the Top! award at the 2011 South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Idaho Potato Side Dish Challenge. Yield: 4 servings.

3 lb. Yellow Finn potato confit (recipe follows)

1 recipe duck leg confit (recipe follows)

1 recipe duck gravy (recipe follows)

6 cups vegetable oil for frying

⅛ cup duck fat, rendered (see assembly)

½ cup fresh farmer's cheese, crumbled (see assembly)

⅛ cup Italian parsley, chopped (see assembly)

to taste, kosher salt

Yellow Finn Potato Confit:

3 lb. Idaho®-grown Yellow Finn potatoes, cut into ½" batons

3 lb. fresh duck fat, rendered

½ cup fresh garlic cloves

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Duck Confit:

5 lb. fresh duck legs

3 lb. duck fat, rendered

½ lb. kosher salt

3 sprigs rosemary

10 sprigs thyme

10 black peppercorns

Duck Gravy:

⅛ cup carrot, peeled and cut into small dice

⅛ cup celery, cut into small dice

¼ Spanish onion, cut into small dice

2 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced

⅛ cup duck fat, rendered

⅛ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups roasted duck stock

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme

to taste, salt and fresh ground pepper

For Yellow Fin Potato Confit:

Preheat oven to 275°F. In a large nonreactive roasting pan, combine potatoes, duck fat, garlic and rosemary. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow potatoes to cool in fat. Transfer potatoes to a lined sheet tray and allow to air dry for 2 hours before using. Store refrigerated until ready to use.

For duck confit:

Preheat oven to 225°F. Combine kosher salt, rosemary, thyme and black peppercorns in the bowl of a food processor and mix until herbs are finely chopped and salt turns a pale green. Thoroughly coat duck legs in salt mixture in a single layer. Allow duck legs to cure, refrigerated, for 2 hours, then rinse and pat dry before cooking.

In a large nonreactive roasting pan, combine cured duck legs and rendered duck fat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook duck legs for 6 hours. Remove duck legs from duck fat and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove skin and duck bones and discard, then shred cooked duck meat.

For duck gravy:

Heat duck fat in a saucepot over medium heat and sweat carrot, celery and onion until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Add all-purpose flour and stir to incorporate and cook until flour is lightly caramelized, about 6-8 minutes. Slowly add roasted duck stock and whisk until all stock is incorporated. Add bay leaf and thyme and cook over low heat until gravy is thickened, about 18-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

For assembly:

Preheat vegetable oil to 400°F. Combine duck confit and duck gravy and bring to a simmer. Hold warm until ready to use. In batches, fry potatoes until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove from oil and season to taste with rendered duck fat, salt and parsley. Garnish with duck confit, duck gravy and crumbled fresh farmer's cheese.