A treat that's just ducky

When you have 10 restaurants, 600 employees and three lodges worth of hungry skiers in addition to the day trippers, food can be a challenge but the team at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, is more than up to it. The resort is consistently ranked number one in food and beverage by readers of SKI magazine and Zagat Restaurant Guide. This recipe shows why.

Three women get credit for sharing. Julie Wilson, Deer Park's director of food and beverage and a grad of La Varenne Cooking School of Paris, won the Utah's Golden Spoon as 2009 Restaurateur of the Year. Jodie Rogers, Snow Park and Empire Canyon Lodges executive chef, has been a professional chef for 15 years and was on the gold medal-winning teams at the Australian Salon Culinare Restaurant of Champions. Heather Prine is Seafood Buffet chef.

Duck eggs are not normally found in our neighborhood grocery stores but when they are, this is how to prepare them and wow your guests.

Seafood Buffet's Duck Egg Custard

Yield: 12 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Egg Custard
4 cups heavy cream
10 duck egg yolks
1 cup brandy
5 Shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1/2 TBS. shallots, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Crack top from duck eggs and empty, reserving yolks and shells.
Whisk together cream, yolks, 1/4 cup of the brandy, salt and pepper.
Saute the chopped shrimp and shallots, deglazing the pan with the remaining brandy. Season to taste.
Scoop into the shells, stopping about halfway up.

Brown Roux
2 TBS. each oil (preferably duck fat) and flour
Heat the oil, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until dark brown in color.

Gumbo
1/4 cup green pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup onlion, finely diced
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup shrimp, finely chopped
2 cups shrimp or lobster stock
Brown roux, just enough to thicken
File, salt and pepper to taste
Saute the peppers, onion and celery in a small amount of butter. Add the shrimp and deglaze the pan with the stock. Add roux to thicken then add file, salt and pepper.

Top egg custard with gumbo mix and bake in a water bath for about 30-40 minutes until firm.