There was a time, not so long ago, when we spent our early autumns on jams and relishes and chutneys, the stock ingredients of the larder and the store cupboard, our way of dealing with a glut of green tomatoes or blackberries or whatever.
These days, only someone with lashings of time and still more surplus would make chutneys and relishes. The reason why is simple. The chutneys, preserves and relishes made by small Irish companies are superb in flavour and quality, so good that they will easily match anything you can do yourself. You may make a smashing onion marmalade with caraway seeds, but if it is better than Rois in Jenkins's brilliant onion marmalade with caraway seeds, sold under her Dibbles label, then you are some sort of artist. You may make a very fine raspberry coulis, but if it is better than the raspberry coulis made by Kelly Spillane's Morley's company, then you sure know your way around soft fruits and sugar.
Ms Jenkins's superb foods - don't miss also her spicy tomato and chilli jam and her dressings - are merely the latest arrival on the preserves scene. In Bewleys, Siobhan Saunders has put together a fantastic range, numbering almost 50 in total and ranging from an addictive colonial pickle to spoonsome summer fruits in Irish whiskey to excellent honey and almond paste. All of them are sourced from the small Irish companies who have created the preserves revolution: Crossogue Preserves; Olvi Oils; Irish Dawn; Janet Drew's Country Fayre, Ballymaloe and others.
It is important to point out just how important these companies are, and in particular Bronagh Conlon's Real Irish Food Company, which acts as an organisation company for many of them, for this area has traditionally been one dominated almost totally by imported products. Not only can we now buy Irish foods, but the products of the small companies are vastly superior to the imports. In a few years, some of them have become household names, and our first choice: brilliant Ballymaloe relish and cucumber pickle, made by Jasmine Hyde; Ownabwee honeys and dressings; Torc caramel sauce; Lakeshore mustards.
So, these talented artisans have liberated you from the chore of making jams, chutneys and relishes. You are not yet out of the kitchen, however. F/95C; this should take about one hour in a covered slow cooker or partially covered casserole (faster heating will result in a stringy-textured confit).
Hold the temperature at 190F/90C, until gizzards, neck, wings, and breasts are tender enough to be pierced easily with a wooden pick, about one hour; a slow cooker should be partially covered, a casserole uncovered. Skin will be pale in colour.
Remove these pieces with slotted spoon as they are done; keep pieces covered with foil to prevent drying out. Maintain temperature another 30 minutes, or until thickest part of thigh tests done. Remove from heat; let duck legs cool in fat for one hour. Remove duck thighs and garlic with slotted spoon.
9. If a slow cooker was used, ladle fat to large, very heavy pot. Heat, uncovered, over medium-high heat to almost boiling, skimming off foam that rises to surface. Let bubble five to 10 minutes, or until spattering stops and surface of fat is nearly undisturbed. Watch carefully and adjust heat if necessary to avoid burning or smoking; fat that is allowed to reach smoking point will be ruined for re-use. Remove from heat; let cool a few minutes.
11. Have ready three 900ml/1 1/2 -pint or two 1.5L/2 1/2pint crocks or jars. (Since pieces will be embedded in solidified fat and cannot be casually removed, it is necessary to use more than one vessel in order to separate large pieces that will be served whole, or in attractive slices, from smaller and bonier ones that are best added to soups or stews). Heavy, glazed earthenware crocks, taller than they are wide, are excellent and glass jars can also be used. Remember that the narrower the vessel, the less fat will be needed to cover duck pieces; however, pieces should not be crowded against the sides.
Line up containers and prepare to fill them. Pour boiling water into each; swirl and discard. Thoroughly dry the containers. Immediately place half a teaspoon of salt in the bottom of each crock; this prevents meat juices that may seep from duck during ripening process from turning sour. Examine cooked duck pieces.
Bones may have come loose from some pieces; if so, use loose bones to make crisscross platform on bottom of one or all vessels. Reheat fat. Ladle bubbling clear top fat through fine-mesh strainer into each container; be sure not to use the more perishable cloudy fat and meat juices at the bottom. Fill about halfway; slip in still-warm confit pieces without crowding. Ladle in additional clear fat as necessary to cover confit and leave a generous 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of air space between surface of fat and rim of vessel. Rap containers gently on work surface to tamp out any air pockets. Let cool, uncovered, to room temperature.
Store, covered, overnight in the refrigerator or cold storage area.
12. The next day, seal confit by spooning a 2.5-centimetre (one inch) layer of melted lard over surface; since lard is more impenetrable to air than duck fat.
13. Cover with grease-proof paper secured with rubber band; this is sufficient protection with or without lid placed on top. 14. Store for three-four months in a refrigerator or cool dry place before using. Do not freeze. The best book I know on the multifarious techniques of preserving is Oded Schwartz's Preserving, published last year by Dorling Kindersley. Packed with ideas which utilise every manner of food, here is a typically clever idea from it, for a hot sauce named Harrief. Mr Schwartz says: "This Morrocan speciality is my favourite hot sauce. I make it in large quantities and use it to add instant piquancy to sauces, soups, stews, salads and pasta, or brushed on meat before barbecuing."
Harrief
250g/8oz fresh red chillies, deseeded
250g/8oz garlic cloves, peeled
150ml/quarter pint fruity olive oil
250ml/8fl oz cider vinegar
3 tabs salt
1-2 tabs chilli powder (optional)
2 tabs cumin seeds, freshly ground
2 teaspoons arrowroot
1. Roast and skin the peppers, rinse well, then core and deseed. Put in the food processor with the chillis, garlic and oil.
2. Process until the vegetables are finely chopped. Transfer to the preserving pan and add the vinegar, salt and spices. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until the mixture is reduced by a third.
3. Mix the arrowroot to a paste with a little vinegar and stir into the sauce.
Raise the heat and boil the sauce rapidly for one minute, stirring constantly.
4. Pour the sauce into the hot, sterilised jars, then seal. The sauce is ready immediately, but improves with keeping.
While there are now many fine, flavoured oils on the market, you still have to make your own if you want something a little different. This lobster oil, from the celebrated American chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is gorgeous. J-G suggests uncooked lobster shells are best, but we used cooked shells and found they worked fine. If using cooked, he recommends the shells should only be cooked for 10 minutes in the oil.
Lobster Oil
2 lbs lobster shells, including the heads half cup vegetable oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 bunch tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley, chopped
half bottle dry white wine
four cups vegetable oil
Crush the lobster shells (a heavy rolling-pin is excellent for this). In a large, high-sided pot, heat the half cup of vegetable oil until very hot. Carefully add the crushed lobster shells and stir well. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes.
Stir in the vegetables and herbs thoroughly. Add the wine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes longer. Add the remaining four cups oil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for half an hour.
Take the pot off the heat. When the mixture is no longer steaming, cover and let it sit at room temperature overnight. It is important to leave the mixture in the pot, as this will intensify the flavour. Do not refrigerate! Strain the oil through a paper coffee filter into a clean container. Store, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for up to one month.
IF you are lucky, then you will be able to find the following corn pepper relish in jars, proudly bearing the Ballycormac House label. Made by Herb and Christine Quigley in Borrisokane, Co Tipperary, it is typical of their brilliant cooking.
But the Ballycormac preserves can only be found in a few shops, so to make sure you can enjoy what is herb and Chris's most popular relish, here is their recipe.
Corn Pepper Relish
This recipe works equally well with fresh corn cut from the cob or canned whole kernel corn.
6 cups corn kernels
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
half teaspoon celery seeds
quarter teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and the liquid has thickened slightly. Spoon into sterilised jars and seal. Makes about seven cups.