I roasted a duck.
12-08-2012
, 02:08 PM
I am an incredibly unaccomplished cook. I almost never make anything for myself because my girlfriend is a very, very good cook. When I do cook, it's almost always one of my grandmother's Hungarian dishes.
But I had the day off work yesterday, so I thought I'd surprise my girlfriend with a roasted duck with a cherry sauce and duck fat fries.
The recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/t...ipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/g...ipe/index.html
While this process took a long time, it was much less harrowing and labor-intensive than I thought it would be. And the results were well worth the effort.
The duck with salt and freshly ground pepper inside and out:
Time to flip the bird the first time.
Making the sauce.
Readying the fries. (Not the most even cuts, but it worked out fine anyway.)
Fry time!
The bird is ready to rest.
Even after I strained it, the duck fat had some parts that were more opaque than others.
But by the 3rd batch, the fat had cleared and made perfectly crispy fries.
Time to dig in.
That bird is ancient history.
Although I was surprised by how moist the meat of the duck was, I think the sauce still was a necessary component to the dish. It was a great balance of sweet and tart due to the honey and lemon juice in it. The skin was crispy and super-flavorful. And the fries were fantastic. The texture was perfect; leaving some skin on those fries is a great idea. And a little truffle salt never hurts either.
Questions/comments welcome.
But I had the day off work yesterday, so I thought I'd surprise my girlfriend with a roasted duck with a cherry sauce and duck fat fries.
The recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/t...ipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/g...ipe/index.html
While this process took a long time, it was much less harrowing and labor-intensive than I thought it would be. And the results were well worth the effort.
The duck with salt and freshly ground pepper inside and out:
Time to flip the bird the first time.
Making the sauce.
Readying the fries. (Not the most even cuts, but it worked out fine anyway.)
Fry time!
The bird is ready to rest.
Even after I strained it, the duck fat had some parts that were more opaque than others.
But by the 3rd batch, the fat had cleared and made perfectly crispy fries.
Time to dig in.
That bird is ancient history.
Although I was surprised by how moist the meat of the duck was, I think the sauce still was a necessary component to the dish. It was a great balance of sweet and tart due to the honey and lemon juice in it. The skin was crispy and super-flavorful. And the fries were fantastic. The texture was perfect; leaving some skin on those fries is a great idea. And a little truffle salt never hurts either.
Questions/comments welcome.
12-12-2012
, 01:22 PM
12-13-2012
, 05:58 PM
12-14-2012
, 01:07 AM
Neither did I really, so I called around to a couple places. Here in DC, the regular grocery stores don't usually carry them. I got mine at Whole (Paycheck) Foods frozen for a surprisingly reasonable price of $3.99/lb iirc.
If you're still in Oxford, you should check with this place up in Parkesburg:
http://www.hersheysfarmmarket.com/
Even if they don't have duck, it's worth a trip there because they have some excellent meats and other products as well.
Quote:
Good choice to begin your cooking adventures! Duck is so fatty that it is hard to really mess up compared to something like chicken. Keep at it, this is one of the first things I cooked for myself as I was learning too!
@metsandfinsfan: go to any true asian grocery, you will probably find a whole one with head on and everything. after a couple times you will begin eating the brain and the toes!
@metsandfinsfan: go to any true asian grocery, you will probably find a whole one with head on and everything. after a couple times you will begin eating the brain and the toes!
12-14-2012
, 01:57 AM