Duck with Parmesan and Roasted Pears a la Vanilla

2 ducks, 2 ½ kg each
¼ cup olive oil
2 medium onions sliced
1 head of garlic, halved
2 carrots, chopped
4 liters of water
Sea salt
 
Ingredients for the duck and sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ liter of red wine

Ingredients for vanilla pears
8 vanilla beans
50 g sugar
8 green-skinned pears
50 g butter

For the parmesan

300 g grated Parmesan cheese

Preparing the duck soup

1. Debone the ducks and reserve the meat and the carcasses.
2. Brown the bones and carcasses of ducks in a large Dutch oven with ¼ cup oil. Add onion, garlic and carrot. Continue browning the bones until they are well browned.
3. Add water and a little salt. Simmer over low heat for 3 hours. Strain the broth and set aside.

1. Season the reserved duck meat with salt and pepper and place in a large skillet with oil. Brown the meat well on all sides. Add the red wine and let it reduce by half.
2. Add the duck stock to cover and leave over low heat until the meat is cooked through. Add more broth if needed so that the duck stays moist.  Strain the meat and broth. Reserve both separately. 
3. Reduce the duck broth until it becomes a  thick, dark, savory sauce..

1. Preheat oven to 180 ° C.
2. Open the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the inside of it to separate the seeds. Reserve pods for the pears .
3. Mix the seeds with the sugar and set aside.
4. Peel , halve and core the pears. Coat each pear with the vanilla sugar mixture and place a vanilla bean and a little butter in the center of each pear. Arrange pears in an ovenproof greased casserole dish and bake at 180 ° C for 15 minutes, or until browned but not overcooked.

1. Sprinkle cheese on a silicone mat to form eight crisps (thin, crispy and cookie-like) bake at 160 ° C until golden brown and flattened out.

1. Place a piece of duck on a plate and a vanilla pear on a plate and garnish with the reserved whole mushrooms.
2. Drizzle the reduction of duck broth and the Parmesan crisp.