On the top of the photo, sliced duck prosciutto and on the bottom a cured whole duck breast.
Some years ago Nick and Anna gave me a Richmond cookbook which included a recipe for making prosciutto from duck breasts from the C&M Galley Kitchen. This is how I used 4 duck breasts from the 2 ducks which I cut up, as described in a number of posts. The prosciutto was easy to make, and indeed tastes quite a lot like pork prosciutto. I notice that the curing process shrinks the flesh on the breast more than it shrinks the fat, so that the cured duck breasts seem to have a higher percentage of fat than the uncured breasts. I am thinking of using the duck prosciutto in a spaghetti carbonara. Stay tuned!
4 duck breasts
2 cups kosher salt
1-1/3 cups light brown sugar
8 juniper berries, crushed
4 bay leaves, crushed
1-1/3 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
ΒΌ tsp. paprika
Mix together the salt, sugar, and spices and divide the mixture between two gallon ziplock baggies. Place two duck breasts in each baggie. Move them around to coat both sides with the salt and sugar mixture, and then put them side by side in each of the baggies. Close the baggies removing the air. Place the baggies flat in a pan in the refrigerator for a week, flipping them periodically to ensure an even cure.
After a week, the breasts should be fully cured and should feel very firm to the touch. Remove them from the baggies, rinse off the salt and sugar, and dry them. Slice thinly for use. Vacuum seal and freeze breasts for future use.