After the salami success of rigoniman, I wanted to have a go at meat preserving myself. But because I’m a bit lazy, I wanted something simpler and quicker. Also because of the risk; I didn’t want to put in effort and weeks of waiting for a dodgy result. And mind the squids too.
From the back of my brain I recalled reading about the charcutepalooza blog project, which I suspected might help me choose an entry level meat product. ELMP. I landed on duck prosciutto. How’s that for some weird imagery.
The suggested recipe by Ruhlman was heavy handed on the salt, so I went googling to find an option that didn’t mean I had to buy salt. I found a really simple one by this guy from Master Chef (whose restaurant I’ve actually been keen to visit because of his whole-beast philosophy). We managed to have everything already in the house but the duck. The Queen Victoria Market helped with that.
Making duck prosciutto is supremely rewarding in its simplicity.
There is something lovely about cheesecloth and kitchen string.
After a handful of days and many curious squeezes, we unveiled a most impressive looking pair of duck boobs.
It looked right, it smelled right, it walked… No! It tasted right. I think. (Well, we’ve never eaten duck prosciutto before, so who knows.)
I have to be honest. I’m a little afraid if it. I only eat small portions at a time. It seemed suspiciously easy. The prosciutto smelt clean and meaty and spicy. We didn’t get sick, so that is an excellent result.
This is science though, so do your research and follow the rules! Trust the nose and be wary of any odd smells.
Classic Marine Iguana 
You are brave!
OK I’m converted; a rub of salt, juniper, allspice, bay leaves and orange zest sounds a fantastic combination of flavours. Will give it a go sometime this month and let you know the results!
Exactly! Yes please do, I would love to hear how you go.
The recipe sounds delicious and your prosciutto looks perfect… love the look of that creamy white fat and the lean, cured meat. I’d be scared to eat it too. I have such a crappy sensitive stomach so if I eat anything even slightly off I end up vomiting (my husband is entirely different, he has a cast iron gut. I hate it). If you’ve sampled bits and haven’t felt queasy it must be fine though. Particularly if it smells great. I might give this a go… you only live once, right?! 🙂
Oh – this looks amazing!!! This has gone to the top of my “to cook” list!
It certainly is a winner. I love it as is or even shaved and cooked in its own rendered fat… SO GOOD!
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