Oy Vey, Cuvee

The other day the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I popped into Pete's Waterfront Ale House looking for Sam. We still hadn't seen him since I made my South Carolina style pulled pork sandwiches and I wanted to thank him for the cooking advice. We also had an ulterior motive:

Duck Confit


You may remember that I was a bit disappointed that Braeburn's didn't have it on the menu the last time I visited. Well, I must have put out some vibes because a few days later it was a special at Pete's. I first had duck confit in Paris and tend to get it anytime I see it on the menu here. I also have made it myself and, if I do say so, it turned out really well. Traditionally a French dish, the chef, Jim, put a bit of a Cajun spin on it here serving it with black beans instead of the tradtional white beans and a spicy andouillie instead of a more traditional game sausage. I used a rabbit sausage when I made mine.

Confit was originally a method of preserving game birds. It involves heavily salting the meat and then slowly cooking it in lard. When the meat is thorougly cooked it is then stored in the lard and will keep for quite a long time. Now it is prepared just for the flavor and, this is important, much less salt should be used.

The Finished Product


It was quite tasty but, in my opinion, a bit too salty. Remember, the old recipes call for way more salt than is traditionally used today. You can still keep this dish in your refrigerator for up to a month, however, if you keep the meat covered in the lard. And it is best if you refrigerate it for a least a couple of days before serving it.

The Chips Were A Nice Touch


I had a couple of the Brooklyn Brewery Brewery's Cuvee de Cardoz to wash down my meal. This is that limited edition beer that was concocted by Chef Floyd Cardoz of Tabla and Brewmaster Garrett Oliver. It is a wheat beer seasoned with spices picked out by Chef Cardoz and then toasted and ground before adding. These included ginger, tamarind, mace, black pepper, corriander, fennel, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and chilies. As you can imagine, this beer has all the flavor that you could ever want. Simply delicious and, at around 8% alcohol, it packs a punch. I will keep ordering this at Pete's until they run out.

Comfy With My Confit And Beer

I do love Paris but, quite frankly, I love where I live more. Not as pretty a city, I will grant you that, but with the abundance of French bistros within walking distance of where I live and the occasional French bistro fare at Pete's Waterfront Ale House, what more could I ask for. And you can't get that Brooklyn Cuvee de Cardoz in Paris.