The Primal Blueprint Cookbook (17 page)

When stock is completed, preheat oven to 350°F.

Pat legs and wings dry and season with a dash of salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep ovenproof pot. Add legs and wings and brown each side, about 8 minutes total cooking time. Remove from pot and set aside. Lower heat and add ginger, garlic, lime zest and remaining onion and sauté several minutes until onion is translucent. Add tamari, duck stock, legs and wings. Bring to a boil then cover the pot and put in the oven for 1 hour. After cooking, remove meat from pot and place in serving dish (left on the bone, or cut off). Save the broth.

Next, pat duck breasts dry and lightly salt. Over high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil then add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden and as crisp as possible, 4–8 minutes. Pour oil out of pan and flip breasts skin side up. Cook 10–12 minutes more to desired doneness. Or, if the oven is still on you can put the pan in the oven after searing and roast the breasts uncovered to desired doneness. Duck breast is typically served fairly pink and medium rare, which registers around 135 on a thermometer. Add the duck to the serving dish, either whole or sliced.

To finish the dish, bring the broth to a simmer, Add bok choy and simmer with a lid for 4–6 minutes, lifting the lid once to rearrange bok choy so the ones on the top come in contact with the broth.

Arrange bok choy on the serving platter with meat. Drizzle the broth over the top if desired.

From flakey to buttery, and from slick and smooth to rich and meaty, seafood offers an astonishing array of textures that respond well to almost any method of cooking. Grilling, pan frying, baking and poaching are all suitable. As far as seasoning goes, seafood doesn’t demand much. Most types of fish and shellfish are perfectly happy with simple lemon and butter. But why not have a little fun and try something new? The mild flavor of most seafood makes it the perfect protein to pair with richly flavored broths and an array of fresh herbs and spices with a little bit of kick. Surrounding seafood with enticing flavors can coax even those who claim not to eat it much to take a bite.

Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and a whole spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that the benefits of eating seafood in moderation outweigh the risks of ingesting toxins from polluted waters. However, serving seafood these days comes with a certain amount of responsibility. Is the fish you’re serving farm raised or caught in the wild? Has it been fished in a way that does not threaten the environment and other species? Has it been exposed to toxins that you should avoid consuming regularly, if ever? Bringing home a simple fillet for dinner can be overwhelming until you commit to one simple thing: buy from a trusted source. Talk to the people you’re buying your seafood from, ask questions and if you don’t trust their answers, find a new place to shop. A little self-education also goes a long way. The list of the most sustainable and least contaminated seafood choices is always changing, but up-to-date information is available online on sites like The Monterey Bay Aquarium (
www.montereybayaquarium.org
) and the Environmental Defense Fund (
www.edf.org
).

This hearty nod to New England clam chowder retains the creamy, almost stew-like character of the classic, yet contains no milk or excessive starch. This makes good use of thrifty wild caught canned salmon that is available year round and easy to stock in the pantry, but it’s also excellent made with leftover cooked wild caught salmon fillet. Either way, your omega-3 fatty acids are covered with both forms of wild caught salmon.

For added interest and a wider variety of seafood nutrients, use one 4 ounce can of salmon, but add chopped clams and smoked mussels, including the juices.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, until the bacon fat is released. Add onion, dill, bay leaf, black pepper, and cayenne and cook until the bacon is barely crispy.

Add the turnips or cauliflower and chicken broth and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5–7 minutes. Add salmon chunks and the juices and simmer a few more minutes to heat through.

Stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a slow boil, then simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Serve soup very warm in pre-warmed bowls, garnished with dill.