SC - Feast Budgets/Event Budgets

[Melissa Martines]

Duck is an easy bird to cook. I don't have my cookbooks to hand, but I can
give you 2 possibilities to use, the first of which is very simple, the
second of which is a bit more complex. You must keep in mind that ducks are
very fatty critters, and much of what you're doing with a duck is removing
the fat. Need I say that first you remove all visible fat from the cavity?

Method the first:

Thaw and de-fat the duck. Prick gently all over, piercing the skin but Not
the meat, and salt heavily inside and out. If you wish to, make a high acid
stuffing of fresh fruits loosely packed (citrus are best, but apples or
plums or whatever mixed with the citrus work well also), and plan on
cooking another 10-15 minutes. Place on a rack over a drip catching pan and
roast until the skin is crispy and the flesh of the breast has the texture
you prefer on roast chicken, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 250 to 300 degrees
F. DO NOT BASTE WITH PAN DRIPPINGS!!! Ducks are essentially self-basting.
Instead, save the rendered fat for something you want to use duck fat for.
Discard the stuffing, split the duck, and serve with a fruit sauce.

Fruit sauce #1

Take your favorite fruit jelly, mix with 1/2 as much of a good wine to your
taste, and gently heat until liquid, Preserves also work well, but are
lumpier.

Fruit sauce #2

Take your favorite fruit juice and add about 1/4 as much wine and heat,
thickening with cornstarch until slightly more liquid than you desire.

Method the second:

Thaw and defat your duck. Remove the skin and slice into 1/2-3/4 inch
strips. Dismantle the duck as you would a chicken, and separate the thighs
and legs from the breasts. Bone the breasts, and save the breastbones,
neckbones, and backs for stock. Mix up your liquid and seasoning as you
would for oven-fried chicken and dredge the legs and thighs: place on a pan
and place in the oven at 350 farenheit. Add the breasts after 15 minutes,
and bake until done, about 3/4 hour, depending on how well-done you like
your poultry. While this is going on, put the skin and fat in a frying pan
and fry until you have cracklings, drain on a paper towel. Present all on
the same platter, sectioned by body part, and heave a sigh of relief.

Note: I am assuming you're using commercial duck, rather than wild. Wild
duck is wonderful but, if it has been fed on fish, has other techniques
necessary to remove the fish taste from the meat. Also, wild duck is leaner
than domestic duck. As an average, you should figure on 1/2 duck per person.

Hope this helps,

Phlip

phlip at morganco.net

Never a horse that cain't be rode, 
And never a rider that cain't be throwed.
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