If the hottest part of summer is the dog days, certain weeks in the winter are duck days. There is no better way to spend a cold day than in the kitchen, and no better companion for that than one of those billed birds, or maybe two or three.
This might surprise some people. Duck suffers from a difficult reputation, at least culinarily. Too many sweet-and-sour duck a l’oranges at indifferent restaurants. Too many attempts at roasting a duck at home that ended up stringy and greasy.
But this is a fault of the cook, not of the bird. Give me a duck, and I’ll give you a meal. Give me several, and we can invite friends. Three ducks can turn into four courses for 10 people. And all without the benefit of fuzzy accounting.
There are two main problems with ducks. First, the legs and the breast meat are so radically different. The breast meat is tender and perfect when cooked to about medium-rare. The legs are the opposite, stringy and full of tendons that must be well cooked before they soften.
This is one reason roast duck so often is disappointing: If you get the breasts right, the legs are going to be inedible. But if you cook to the legs, you’ll wind up with a dried-out breast.
The other problem with ducks is that they contain a remarkable amount of fat, most of it just under the skin. If you’re not careful, you’ll wind up with a spattering mess in the oven and a dinner that’s dripping in grease. (Even though the Duckling Council makes clear that a skinless duck breast has less fat than a similar chicken part, the whole bird is fattier. As waterfowl, genetically dependent on fat for insulation and buoyancy, ducks just can’t help it.)
The most delicious solution to these problems is to look at a duck not as a single piece of meat, but as a collection of parts, the sum of which is much greater than the whole. This involves a little work and time. It’s worth it.
That one, please
First, catch your duck. The best place is at Asian markets. For some reason, fresh duckling that is an $8-a-pound luxury at a Western supermarket sells for less than $2 a pound in an Asian one. Best of all, the ducks usually come with their feet attached. (Why this is a good thing, I’ll explain later).
If you’re not up for the full deal, many Asian markets also sell fresh duck legs. What they do with the breasts, I don’t know, but I’ve got a suspicion they will probably be appearing soon at a fancy restaurant near you.
If you go the supermarket route, chances are good the duck will be frozen, so plan accordingly: A 5-pound duck will take 24 hours to thaw in the fridge, or 30 minutes per pound in cold water. As with a turkey, remember to look inside the bird for the giblets and neck.
About 90 percent of ducklings these days are white Pekin, according to the Duckling Council, and most are raised in Indiana rather than the former duck stronghold of Long Island. Less common breeds are the Muscovy, raised for its breast meat and liver, and the moulard, a cross between a Muscovy and the white Pekin.
The next step is to separate it into its respective parts. Take the breast fillets from the carcass: Cut down the length of the breast right next to the central “keel” bone. Gently pull away the breast meat, scraping along the ribs with a sharp knife whenever the meat sticks. Score the breasts lightly on the skin side, cutting through the skin but not to the meat. This will help drain the fat during cooking. Season with salt, pepper and some minced rosemary, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Cut off the legs and peel away the skin and any visible fat. Use them for an Italian-style ragu (see recipe). Cut the skin and fat into rough 2-inch squares and place them in a saucepan. Remove as much skin and fat as possible from the rest of the carcass and add it to the saucepan too. The neck is particularly rich in fat, another reason to buy a whole duck at an Asian market.
What is left is primarily bones. Put them in a roasting pan with a couple of carrots and an onion and roast at 400 to 450 degrees until everything is well browned, about an hour. After roasting, put everything in a stockpot, add enough water to cover and set it to simmer for the rest of the afternoon to make a good strong broth. Don’t forget to add the feet, which are rich in gelatin and will add body to the liquid.
What about the fat?
Now we’re getting to the good part. Add about half a cup of water to the saucepan holding the skin, and set it over medium heat. Shortly after it comes to a simmer, you will begin to hear a sputtering. At that point, the water will have evaporated, and all that will be left in the pan is pure fat and the skin that’s cooking in it.
Let the fat continue to cook until the bits of skin are well-browned and crisp. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with fine salt and drain on some paper towels. These are like duck chicharrones– just call them “quacklings.”
Cool the fat and decant it into a large jar. You might be amazed at how much fat results from this process. With three ducks, you can end up with a full quart of duck fat, so use a really large jar. (Store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in air-proof containers in the freezer.) This is one of the sublime cooking fats: Duck is to southern France what bacon is to Georgia.
Now the work is done. The rest of the meal is mainly garnish.
Serve the broth first, perhaps with some tiny boiled turnips. Then come the stewed leg ragu, served on polenta or lightly buttered pasta.
Grill the breasts (see accompanying recipe). Slice them crosswise, cutting them on the bias to show as much of the meat as possible. A good accompaniment would be some kind of braised bitter greens. (Maybe the turnip tops, if you opted for the tiny turnips in broth.)
Finally, toss the duck cracklings with a variety of sturdy lettuces and dress the whole thing with red wine vinegar and just a little olive oil.
Think of a big California chardonnay for the broth (one of the few foods it pairs really well with), a zinfandel or barbera for the ragu and then a pinot noir or Barolo for the breast and to linger with over the salad. For dessert, anything more than sorbet or fresh fruit would be overkill.
Forget paradise. Just give me a winter day with a duck.
Turning 3 ducks into 4 courses
SOUP
Duck broth with tiny boiled turnips
California chardonnay
Pasta
Duck ragu on lightly buttered pasta (at right)
Zinfandel
Entree
Grilled duck breast with red currant sauce
Pinot noir
Salad
Duck cracklings tossed with mixed greens, red wine vinegar and olive oil
Dessert
Sorbet or fresh fruit
Grilled duck breasts with red currant sauce
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
We grilled these breasts in the test kitchen using our favorite way to grill in a home kitchen without setting off the fire alarm. Because ducks (and consequently, duck breasts) vary in size, pay close attention to the meat thermometer to achieve the desired degree of doneness.
2 duck breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Red currant sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup port wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon red currant preserves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat an oven-safe skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat; season duck with salt and pepper. Place on skillet skin side down. Cook until skin is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain fat from skillet; turn breasts skin side up. Place skillet in oven; cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast measures 140 degrees for medium rare, about 10 minutes. Remove the breasts from the grill; let rest for 5 minutes. Slice diagonally, cutting crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Meanwhile for the sauce, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat; add shallot. Cook 1 minute. Add port; heat mixture to a boil. Cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth; heat to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in preserves to blend. Add remaining tablespoon butter, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over duck breasts.
Nutrition information per serving:
380 calories, 67% calories from fat, 28 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 180 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 3.4 g carbohydrate, 26 g protein, 0 g fiber
Duck ragu
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serve this duck ragu on polenta or pasta that you have dressed with a little butter after cooking. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
4 duck leg-thigh quarters, about 1 3/4 pounds, skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red wine, plus more if needed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pasta or polenta, for serving
1. Salt the duck lightly on both sides; set aside. Combine the onion, garlic and olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Cover; cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions have thoroughly softened but are not brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Lay the duck legs in a single layer on top of the onions; add enough red wine to cover them halfway. Lay a sheet of foil directly on top of the duck; press it to the sides of the pan to create a loose seal. Cover tightly with lid; cook over low heat, turning occasionally, until the meat is falling off the bone, about 11/4-11/2 hours. Do not let boil.
3. Remove the duck; set aside. Increase heat to high. Cook until the wine has reduced to just below the top of the onions, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the paste has thickened and is a dark brick red, almost brown, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is a dark red and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, remove the duck meat from the bones in large chunks. Discard the bones. Add the meat and the rosemary to the thickened tomato sauce; replace the foil. Close tightly with the lid. Reduce heat to low; cook until the sauce is quite thick and the meat begins to pull apart in shreds when stirred, about 30 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and salt to taste just before serving over pasta or polenta.
Nutrition information per serving:
145 calories, 37% calories from fat, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 410 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 1.6 g fiber
The world’s best potatoes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Yield: 4 servings
With your rendered duck fat, potatoes become something worthy of praise. Adapted from a Washington Post recipe.
3 pounds red potatoes
2 to 4 tablespoons rendered duck fat, room temperature
2 cloves garlic, crushed, optional
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Halve the potatoes if small or cut into 11/2-inch chunks. Add the potatoes to the boiling water; cook until almost fork-tender, 5-7 minutes. Drain; rinse with cool water. Set aside to cool completely. Cover; refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours.
2. Heat the duck fat and garlic in a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Add the potatoes; cook 3 minutes. Stir. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until cooked through and crisp on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a brown paper bag to drain. (Paper towels will cause the potatoes to reabsorb some fat.) Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition information per serving:
155 calories, 35% calories from fat, 6 g fat, 2.1 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 17 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 10 g fiber
