Confit again

This time Sainsbury's had ducks at half-price. We cooked two en confit. For details see eclectic recipes.

Ingredients

2 ducks

salt, pepper

duck fat or fine lard

Bone the ducks (leave the leg and wing bones in). Season liberally with salt and pepper and leave to cure for 48 hours.

Poach the ducks slowly for a couple of hours, submerged in the protective fat. Keep them, refrigerated, safely buried in the solidified fat, for a week or two.

Warm the pot gently until the fat is liquid. Tenderly remove the ducks to a baking tray letting the fat drain off. Bake 20-30 minutes in a hot oven, until the skin is crisp and brown. The trick is to do this quickly so the duck is (relatively) fat-free, while still moist and succulent.

Serve with peas and artichokes.

Healthy food

Food (and drink) that tastes good and does you good

Diets containing two percent, six percent, or nine percent walnuts, when given to old rats, were found to reverse several parameters of brain ageing, as well as age-related motor and cognitive deficits, says James Joseph, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston.

Researchers at the University of California, at Davis tested a variety of wines to determine which types have the highest concentrations of flavonoids. Their results concluded that the flavonoid favorite is Cabernet Sauvignon, followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir.
Scientists believe that flavonoids, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease reducing production of bad (LDL) cholesterol, boosting good (HDL) cholesterol, and reducing blood clotting.

Doctors often prescribe daily aspirin usage for its cardioprotective effects. However, a percentage of the population is unable to take aspirin as required and chocolate therapy is a pleasant and beneficial alternative. The polyphenols in cocoa can also lower LDL levels.

To maximize the health benefits, you should crush garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic.

dark chocolate, chilli, onion, ...