Category: Europe

Delicious Roast Duck with Gravy and Bread Dumplings

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Roast Duck with Gravy and Bread Dumplings

We enjoyed having different styles of duck in many different locations throughout Europe. Although we often will pan-sear duck to render off the fat, roasting it with the skin pricked is another way to cook that provides a crispy skin. Whether you use the pan drippings or happen to have duck stock as we did, serving it with a gravy enhances the flavor. Another side dish that we had in several places was bread dumplings, which is a cross between a savory bread pudding and stuffing.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine German
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Bundt Pan
  • Skillet
  • Small Sauce Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Duck
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Sage chopped
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 cup Onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Carrots finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Celery finely chopped
  • 4 Eggs room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups Milk room temperature
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
  • 1 pinch Fresh Nutmeg grated
  • 4 tbsp Melted Unsalted Butter
  • 14 oz Stale Bread (about 1 loaf) cut into 1 – 2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup Duck Stock
  • 1 cup Chicken Stock
  • 2 tbsp Flour
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tsp Dried Sage
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prick the skin of the duck with a fork and brush it with a the olive oil. Season the duck with the fresh sage, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the duck on a lined baking sheet and let the duck come up to room temperature.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
  • Mix the milk and eggs in a large bowl with the nutmeg and add half of the bread pieces. Let this sit for 30 minutes to fully let the bread soak up the custard mixture.
  • Heat an oven to 350 degrees. Coat the remaining bread with melted butter and place in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the bread has toasted lightly.
  • Coat the Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons of softened butter, even if it is a non-stick pan.
  • Add the toasted bread, sautéed onion, carrots, celery, parsley, salt and pepper, and thoroughly fold everything together. Poor into the Bundt pan.
  • Put the bread dumpling mixture into an oven heated to 325 degrees and cook for 90 minutes. When done, remove and set aside.
  • Heat the oven to 375 degrees and then add the duck and let roast for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, turning the duck every 10 minutes so that it cooks evenly and the skin gets crispy. When done, let the duck rest for about 10 minutes.
  • In a small sauce pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Stirring constantly, slowly whisk in the duck and chicken stock. Add the remaining teaspoon of garlic, dried sage, salt and pepper. Simmer until the gravy has thickened.
  • Cut the duck and serve with gravy and slices of bread dumplings.

Do You Ever Watch Movies to Prepare for a Trip?

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt, Italy, South America, Travel Tips10 Comments

As we’ve been planning and looking forward to our upcoming trip to Kenya and Tanzania, one of the things we have done is watch a couple of movies that are set in the region. Not documentaries, but actual movies such as Out of Africa or even The Ghost in the Darkness. We don’t necessarily watch them to learn about anything particular, but more to just look forward to the upcoming trip. Obviously, depending on the film, you can end up learning about the culture or history of the country that you are about to visit. Needless to say, we don’t expect our trip to end up being like what is depicted in the movies and sometimes you find out that the director and cinematographer haven’t taken creative license by filming in locations other than the actual place that is supposed to be depicted.

The Giza Plateau in Egypt
Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador

Prior to traveling to Egypt and taking our Nile River cruise, we actually watched the mystery movie Death on the Nile. There are plenty of other movies about Egypt as well, but that was the one that came to our mind at the time. Prior to going to the Amazon Rainforest, watching the movie Medicine Man provides an interesting perspective and just traveling through various parts of South America prompted us to watch Dragonfly. Although we didn’t watch any movies prior to our time spent in Tuscany, there are obviously a plethora of choices of movies to watch to get you in the mood to visit that wonderful region of Italy.

View from Piazzale de Michelangelo in Florence
Poisonous Frog in the Amazon

There certainly isn’t any tremendous benefit to watching movies prior to visiting a location, but we find it a way to relax prior to a trip while getting ourselves excited about the upcoming adventure. It could be that watching movies throughout our lives has given us inspiration to travel, so perhaps that is what drives us to revisit some of them when the time comes for us to finally visit that location. Perhaps we’re unique in watching movies or shows located in our intended destination, but maybe some of you do the same thing as us.

Hearty Salisbury Steak with a Mushroom and Onion Gravy

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom and Onion Gravy

Like many recipes that are considered to be traditional American dishes, this recipe is actually a variation of Hamburg Steak that comes from Germany. Although it could be served with something else, mashed potatoes are the natural accompaniment, especially with the rich brown gravy. It s an inexpensive way to feed a crowd, but that doesn't mean that it isn't packed with flavor and something that people will truly enjoy.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, German
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 2 tbsp Bread Crumbs or Panko
  • 1 large Egg
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 10 oz Mushrooms sliced into quarter-inch slices
  • 1/2 Onion sliced thin
  • 2 cups Beef Stock or Broth
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
  • 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Combine the bread crumbs, ground mustard, paprika, and 1 minced clove of garlic in a large bowl
  • Add the egg and hamburger to the bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly combined
  • Make four oval patties, about one-inch thick, with the meat mixture
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then brown the hamburger patties, cooking them about 3 to 4 minutes per side
  • Transfer the patties to a plate, they will finish cooking in the gravy
  • Turn the heat down to medium, add the thyme and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes
  • Add the butter, onions, and remaining minced clove of garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes
  • Whisk the flour into a 1/4 cup of the beef stock to make a slurry
  • Add the beef stock, flour slurry, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high in order to bring it up to a slow boil to allow the sauce to thicken
  • Nestle the patties into the mushroom and onion sauce and cook until the hamburger is fully cooked, about 10 minutes
  • Plate the individual patties and spoon the mushroom and onion gravy over the top, serve with mashed potatoes
Keyword gravy, hamburger, mushrooms, onions