My First Duck

Thanksgiving just came around again and I was not in the mood to cook a turkey. They are giant bird beasts who though maybe tasty, doom the host to several weeks of eating turkey.

Turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey casserole, turkey fried rice, turkey pot pie, turkey stew... and the rarely seen but desperate
Gobbler Pizza.

So this year I decided to try roasting a duck. I've never cooked duck before because I found it hard to work with. Like lamb, if you screw it up, damn it tastes horrible. So all these years I've avoided the test. Until this year...

Step 1: The preparation.

Get your duck and wash it thoroughly with cold water. Inside and outside. Get your fingers in there and scrub till it doesn't feel slick and gross anymore (you might need some wine/beer to drink when getting through this portion of the process).

Poke the bird all over with a toothpick so that the duck fat will have some where to go later. Rub the bird inside and out with lots of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic powder. Hold your nose because a raw duck smells like wet dog. Marinade over night.

Day 2: Into the oven

Take the duck and cram it with a handful of fresh thyme and a clove of garlic. Then tie the legs together to keep the cavity shut.

Place on a rack in a shallow pan of water. The water keeps the bird from smoking when its fat hits the pan.

Roast at 300 F for about 2.5 hours. Then crank the temperature to 375 F for the final hour. Baste the bird every half hour. Don't be alarmed when you see two cups of fat in the pan, because that is what you want: slow rendering of fat from duck.

Step 3: Crossing the finish line

When the skin is brown, blistered, and crunchy all over, then you have done a good job. During the last hour of cooking, feel free to toss into the pan any side dishes you'd like.

For me it was baby potatoes, young carrots, leeks, and the liver from the duck. It was fast and easy to do. Mind you, the veggies are going to be swimming in duck fat, but come on: Thanksgiving is just once a year right?

The Verdict:

Check it out! Thanks giving dinner with all the fixings!

The duck turned out lovely. The skin was crunchy and savoury like bacon. The meat was tender and mild like turkey but not dry. It was moist and delicious.

I think I'll retire my turkey recipe for a few yars still I get sick of duck and move on to leg of lamb or Trinidad jungle rat.

We'll see.