Baked Pasta with Le Gruyère AOP, Duck Confit and Sauerkraut

Note

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Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and sauté the shallots until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and the flour, stirring to form a paste.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in the thyme, nutmeg and Dijon.
Whisk in 2 cups of milk.
Return to heat and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Stir in the 5 oz grated Gruyère AOP.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover and set aside.

Place the duck skin in a small sauté pan with 4 Tbsp of water, and simmer together for 2 mins to extract the fat from the skin.
Remove the skin to a small plate.
Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan, toss in the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Wipe out the pan, and place the duck skin in it, over medium/low heat and slowly brown it on both sides.
Remove to paper towels and when cool, break into bits.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly butter a 2-quart round casserole dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Salt generously and stir in the pasta, then cook until al dente.
Reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander, rinsing briefly with cold water.
In the unwashed pasta pot, add the sauce, pasta, duck meat and stir to combine.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
Quickly stir in the 3 oz diced Gruyère AOP and pour half of this mixture into the buttered baking dish.
Cover with the sauerkraut, then top with the rest of the pasta mixture.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the surface.
Place the dish on a sheet tray (to catch any drips), cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes, until top is golden and the sauce is bubbly and hot.

Remove casserole from the oven, scatter the top with chopped cornichon, pickled red onion and duck cracklings.
Finish with a scattering of parsley.