Winemaker’s Duck Pizza

You can make about 3 small pizza’s like this with the recipe below.

About 6 months ago I was introduced to the idea of Winemaker’s Duck (Canard à la Vigneronne) through Saveur Magazine. GOOD STUFF! Although I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, the concept is quite simple; concord grapes, shallots, thyme, and a duck for roasting. Ironically there is no wine involved at all, but it has, nonetheless, been on my list of things to try ever since. I guess I just haven’t found the occasion yet. OOH! Perhaps it will be great for a simple small family Thanksgiving while we are living in the RV? …but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Last night we decided to make pizzas as a family. Andrew goes with a pretty classic combo pizza with lots of meats and vegetables, while Nathan makes his own small pepperoni and salami pizza. I, however, don’t have a classic. I don’t really have a classic anything. I tend to make up and try new things all the time, so why would pizza be any different?

Perhaps it was that we had finally purchased grapes recently, (as the price managed to drop below the $3-4/lb range,) or maybe I just like wine, but the idea of turning Winemaker’s Duck into a pizza just stuck and would not budge. Pizza au Canard à la Vigneronne!

Now, while I’m off getting the very necessary bread flour for our dough, Andrew is stuck, unable to get the dough started, waiting for me to make up my mind about how to go about this new idea, with much struggle, at the store. I had even gone as far as to purchase one type of wine before changing my mind quickly, having to exchange it for the final decision of port.

This small little container holds 3 Tablespoons of rendered duck fat, enough to make two of the recipes below. You may find it in the baking isle at the grocery store, but certainly a specialty cooking shop should carry some. I found this one at our butcher shop.

Yes, I know that there is no wine in Winemaker’s Duck, but there is also no cheese. How can you have a pizza with no red sauce and no cheese? That was probably where the biggest kerfuddle came in. And what of the duck? Was I really going to buy a whole duck, frozen mind-you, just for a little pizza? If I use chicken, how can it even remotely be called Winemaker’s Duck Pizza?

Somehow, I managed to pull it all together with what has turned out to be a fantastic sauce; rendered duck fat, port, and heavy cream. To be honest, this sauce, and all of this pizza’s ingredients, would make a very fantastic sandwich! The spinach brings the vegetable fill that you need to go with the shallots and grapes, and the feta cheese ties everything together, making it pizza-like.

I’m very proud of this recipe, (as I sit here eating piece after piece of it,) and have now switched my focus to what else this amazing sauce might be good for…

Pizza au Canard à la Vigneronne

By: Semiserious Chefs
Makes: 1 large pizza; 16-18 inches

Ingredients:

prepared, raw pizza dough
- This recipe will make enough dough for 2 large, (16-18 inch) regular/thin crust pizzas or one quite thick large pizza.
1 1/2 T rendered duck fat
- (half of a 1.5 oz container shown above)
1/3 cup port
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 bay leaf
1/2 t dried tyme
spinach (~6-8 oz)
crumbled feta cheese (~6-8 oz)
3 chicken thighs; bones removed, and cubed
- OR ~1 pound duck breast
1 large shallot thinly sliced
~40 grapes; halved

Directions:

Add the duck fat, heavy cream, port, thyme, and bay leaf to a large skillet over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until reduced by half, or when the bubbles start to hold more firm on the surface and don’t break as quickly. It will darken some, but don’t let it burn. Stir regularly. It should not become paste thick.
Brush the sauce over the dough which has been rolled out onto a prepared pizza pan.
Add two layers of flattened spinach leaves, topped with the feta cheese, chopped poultry, sliced shallots, and halved grapes.
Bake the pizza in a preheated oven, at 550°F, for approximately 10 minutes, until the crust is golden. The spinach may be inclined to pull toward the center, but this is okay, as the purple port sauced crust is a great bread accompaniment to the rest of the pizza.