ISO: ISO Richard in Cincy: I finaly got around to your Crispy Duck Everytime

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joe

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It was wonderful, with a potato galette, green beans, and carrots with peas. But I have a question about the presentation:

For the preliminary roasting the night before, I split it down the breast(s) as directed, but the wings were kind of in the way and it was hard to flatten it. The duck was lying on its back, propped up on its elbows, blowse split open with breasts propped upwards (see image).

Not a problem, but when I flipped it over tonight to finish the cooking and crisp the skin, I thought it looked a little like a murder victim--face down with arms behind its back.

I'm wondering: do you butterfly the duck or do you cut it in serving portions first?

The flavor and crisp skin were wonderful! I'm thinking next time I might butterly it by cutting down the backbone, maybe even removing the backbone to fashion some sort of sauce from it and the giblets. I think the duck would lie flatter and the final roast would be breast-side-up.

Any thoughts?

Despite my presentation issues, it was the most successful roasted duck I've ever attempted.

Thanks!

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Yay!

So glad you enjoyed it. For me, it's duck nirvana (miss those old Lenhardt Frauen though).

As for the initial roasting, it depends on what I'm going to do with the duck, or rather, how many I'm serving. If it's just the two of us, I butterfly it. If more are dining, I will cut the duck into serving pieces. And yes, the butterflied roasted duck isn't a pretty site; the description you gave sums it up. I hadn't really thought much past that, but your message left me with this idea:

Either cut completely into halves, and/or cut the wings off to send off to the stockpot.

RVB, nope, no herbs, just salt and pepper. Sometimes simplicity is best, and in this case with a wonderful roasted duck with crispy skin, I don't want anything interfering.

Now, in the sauce, I use juniper, bay, peppercorns, sage, dried mushrooms, garlic, a sliver of lemon peel, and a dash of allspice.

Love the piccy!

 
Yes, it is fantastic

I've made this recipe about 8 times. It is simple and the results are well-roasted, juicy duck. Brushing it with hoisin and marmalade during the last 20 minutes of baking is my next attempt/idea. I'm tired of the long complicated recipes that need a lot of attention. Plus you are rewarded with a jar of duck fat - perfect for sauteing potatoes. SueYoung-SoCa.

 
Thanks for the clarification. Are you talking about a sauce make in the roasing pan?

I'm thinking I'd deglaze it with wine and stock. These additions sound wonderful, though it was good without a sauce.

I've been so frustrated in the past roasting a whole duck. By the time the legs are done, the breasts are rubber, and the skin never really crisps. This is the perfect solution.

 
Yes...

Remove the fat, separate juices from the fat and reserve. Deglaze the pan with stock and/or a little cognac or Gewürztraminer, add the reserved juices separated from the fat. Strain, add more stock for the amount of sauce you need, and simmer with the herbs mentioned above. Make a roux with flour and butter, add the hot stock to make a sauce for potatoes or dressing. Stir in a little cream or sour cream to enrich the sauce if desired. I do it differently everytime I make it, but that's the basics.

 
Thanks!

I did save the fat and juices, and the roasting pan is still sitting unwashed on the stove, lol. I feel a juniper sauce coming on for tonight's leftovers.

 
or...

mark's wonderful descriptions of the pheasant pot pie got me to thinking...

Leftover roast duck, sauce, some mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and celery tucked into a crust and baked...

Also, don't forget to save all your carcass scraps for your stock pot.

 
do you make a seperate duck stock or add it the chicken bones?

and, do use the lamb bone with beef bones for stock? have a bone in the frig now and beef bones in the freezer.

I'm soooo loving making stock! smileys/smile.gif

 
one idea - - - clearly recycled

kinda like tortilla soup sans tortillas.

i had this duck.

but that's besides the point. what's really relevant is that i had had this duck carcass. so we made a stock out of it. in reality, i shoulda thwacked the bones all good with eldridge (that's my cleaver), but i was lazy last night and coerced laur into dumping all duckish leftovers into a stockpot and covering with water and bringing to a simmer till i was ready to deal with it long about noon today. then i strained it and reduced it to about 2 qts, and stuck it in the freezer to congeal the fat. i threw all of that wonderful fat out before i could think of some wonderful stuff to do with it (like make cornbread) cause i wanna live to see if my puter is really y2k compliant.

here's where the soup comes in. 1 brought the stock to a simmer, added 16 sundried tomato halves (not in oil), about 1 tsp of thyme and simmered about 10 minutes. then i whooshed the tomatoes with about 2 cups of the stock in the blender until blended. i added salt and pepper to taste and about 1/4 cuppa lime juice.

then i ladled it into a soup bowl over some chevre (goat's cheese).

chicken or turkey stock woulda worked. i coulda started by sauteing some onion and/or garlic, but it didn't really need it.

we had it with a warm loaf of bread for dunking.

*********** (back to the present)

you can mix bones in a stock, but 1 duck carcass makes 1 meal of soup.

 
thanks richard! your duck recipe inspired me....

through unfathomable logic to do cornish hens stuffed with apples and scarborough seasoning (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme).

i normally add liquid under the roasting rack to keep the birds moist, but i'll leave it dry to encourage crispy skin.

i'm also roasting them boobs down for the first 40 minutes (constant 350 F) of approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

again thanks (also to joe) for getting my little grey cells in gear.

 
Oh don't worry, I saved those bones! I see 2007 shaping up here as the year of the stockpot.

 
Randi, you can mix and match bones at will, but some stocks might be too strong for a delicate dish,

For instance, while I'd add chicken bones to beef stock, I wouldn't use it for a chicken dish because the beef flavor would be overpowering. It would be fine for a beef stew, just a little milder than pure beef stock. Lamb has a definite flavor so I wouldn't include it in a generic-purpose stock. It would make a great barley soup on its own.

I sneak duck bones into chicken stock all the time and no one is the wiser.

 
Oh again, a few weeks ago I cooked Coq au Vin for 14 and Beef Bourguignon for 12, 2 days later...

I cooked the beef Bourguignon again for 25 on New Year's Eve. If I have to peel another pearl onion ever again I might just THROW UP!

Unless, of course, Mark baked them into a pot pie with a real lard crust, in which case I would grovel in admiration and plug in the steam iron, LOL!

 
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