The "I'm Thinking of Making" Thread

[LMNO]

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper is all you need.

I would serve it with asparagus, or blue-cheese mashed potatoes.

Then again, I like savory foods, but you could go sweet with yams, or you could make a blood orange reduction for it.

[LMNO]

Also, if you make your own stock, you'll absolutely love doing it with duck bones.

[Jenne]

Also, if you make your own stock, you'll absolutely love doing it with duck bones.

[Jenne]

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper is all you need.

I would serve it with asparagus, or blue-cheese mashed potatoes.

Then again, I like savory foods, but you could go sweet with yams, or you could make a blood orange reduction for it.

Ooh, love love the idea of the blood orange reduction.  And it just so happens I have some fresh aspergass.   ETA:  I also have bleu cheese from when I made bleu-cheese sirloin burgers!  *fapfap*

[Jenne]

Get your largest stock pot out, and bring to a simmer.

Prep the duck by cutting of the tips of the wings (not the "buffalo" part, the little end bit with no meat on it), and with a sharp knife running parallel to the birds body, make tiny slits just under the skin all over the bird.  Do not cut into the meat, just small slits in the skin.

Submerge the duck in the simmering water.  It tends to float, so a wooden bowl can be used to keep it under the water.  Simmer for half an hour.  Do not boil.  The point is to gently render much of the fat out of the bird.

Remove duck.  Pat dry with a paper towel.  Beads of fat will seep out of the skin, so you may need to pat it down a few times.  Let sit and cool for 20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 500.

Place duck in a roasting pan, and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes, then check the temperature in the breast.  You don't need to go to 170 for duck; you'll kill it.  You can pull the duck out at about 155-160, as the residual heat will keep cooking it as you let it rest for about 15 minutes.

It's easy to make a gravy out of the pan drippings, a roux, and chicken stock (see my thread for pics).

The last thing to keep in mind is that a duck is slightly different to carve than a chicken or a turkey.  I'd do some googling on carving tips.

Oy vey...making this today.  Wish me luck!

[LMNO]

Good luck.

Reminders:

Wet duck is slippery, especially when simmering in a mix of hot water and rendered fat.  Removing the duck from the stock pot can be tricky.

Possible solution: before submerging the duck, loop some butcher's twine through the main cavity, and around the ends of the drumsticks, forming a sort of truss, and leaving enough left over to dangle over the edge of the pot.  That way, you can move the pot to the sink when done, and lift the thing out with the twine, letting the excess water drain, and then transferring to the roasting pan.

Remember to take your time, and let things rest.  Let the physics of heat transfer work for you, not against you.


Also, frame your time:  Bringing water to simmer+simmering duck+resting+roasting+resting+carving is about 2 hours, maybe even pushing 3.  Plan accordingly.

[Jenne]

You are more and more convincing me my skills are not jedi but padawan for this endeavor.

(C'mon Jenne, you can do it!)

...will let you know how it goes...

[LMNO]

It's actually very simple. 


Place duck in simmering water.  Leave alone for 20 minutes.

Remove duck.  Let rest for 20 minutes.

Roast duck for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit for 20 minutes.






I promise that if you do these things, the duck will be awesome.







(times rounded to fit the reassuring "everything will be fine" tone I'm going for.)

[Jenne]

LOL  I told my husband how "simple" it was, and he didn't believe me.  Even down to the spices.  But since he left it in MY hands to do, almost literally, my way it shall be done then.

[LMNO]

When are you doing this?  I mean it's 2:15 East Coast - that means it's 11:15 Chargers' time, right?


If you're serving at 7:00, that means 10:00 EST.

So, you'll be starting around 5:00, which is 8:00.  Hm.  I might be at band practice.



PM with email comin at you.

[Jenne]

Nah, I'll start around 3pm.  Kids have to eat by 7!

[LMNO]

So, that's about 6:00 my time.  I'll be home.

[LMNO]

Reminder:  Simmer.  A gentle roll on the surface of the water.  If it's a full bubbling boil, you'll toughen the meat. 


No need to freak, just keep an eye on it.  This is not a process where you can go and do some laundy at this step.  the resting and roasting, sure.

[Jenne]

So, it's the fact that you have to keep the meet tenderish, and not overcook the fuck out of it, esp if you're just simmering it a bit to render it and THEN roasting it (without benefit of extra moisture to help keep the meat moist).

So I'll start rendering about 3:20ish my time.  (I'll be walking the kiddo home from school with the dog, this takes some time, he gets out at 2:50)

[LMNO]

yeah, you got it.

I'll be around.  I think you'll be fine, though.