How do I make a crispy crust for duck I′m about to cook.?!
(I learned this from watching Emeril Lagasse do it on the Food Network)
Answers: Before you roast it, prick the fatty parts with a fork or sharp knife. You want to get around the legs especially. It will help the fat run out of the skin and baste itself...and make it nice and crispy! :)
(I learned this from watching Emeril Lagasse do it on the Food Network)
make sure the fat is drained regularly and when almost done, take off the lid of the roaster and put the broiler on for a couple minutes, keep an eye on it....
Pour boiling water over the duck, this melts the fat under the skin. Now dry the duck completely...a fan heater or hair drier is not over the top...the idea is to get the skin really dry and detached from the fat beneath. Combine a little jam,(fruit of any kind really though plum is usually used0 half teaspoon of mustard, little salt and rub all over the duck. Get the duck off the floor of the baking pan by putting some sliced potato under it. Pop in a hot oven, preheated, inspect and turn down low after 10- 15 minutes. Good luck!
I like to deconstruct the duck so all of it gets its best treatment.
Remove the leg and thigh quarters and set aside. Remove the wings and set aside. Cut along the back bone and remove the breast meat with (just) its attached skin, and set aside. You should be left with the breast and back bones and lots of loose skin. Cut off the loose skin in as neat pieces as you can.
Put the skin into a heavy pan over medium heat. The skin will render its fat and then cook the to make cracklings. When they are deep brown remove to paper towels and season with salt and papper. Cut into small pieces. These are delicious. Serve with the meat or on a green salad.
Strain and reserve the rendered duck fat. It is a gift of the gods for cooking potatoes, chicken, fish, whatever.
Meanwhile, put the carcass, wings and inards (except the liver of course, because you have cut that into three pieces, wrapped then in half cooked bacon, roasted it in a hot oven, and eaten it with reconstituted dry mustard and jam) in a hot oven with a quartered onion and two carrots. Turn the pieces to brown on all sides. It will take 20-40 minutes. When browned,cut the carcass into pan sized pieces, place everything in a sauce pan and cover with 32 oz low sodium chicken broth. Simmer very slowly for 2-3 hours. Then strain and reduce to 1 1/2 cups. This is your stock. It too is gold.
The legs are best braised. Here is a recipe from Alice Waters but there are many available on the web. Remember to think about enhancing the recipe by sprinkling it with some of those cracklings.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/v...
The breasts are best sauted. Score the skin in two directions, cutting through the fat but not through the meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly over medium heat. This renders the fat and crisps the skin. Do not rush the process it will take 20-30 minutes. The second side, unprotected by the skin, will cook in 3-5 minutes.
Now make a pan sauce. Remove all but a TBSP of fat, add a minced shallot and 1 teaspoon sugar, and cook until carmelized, add 1/2 cup orange juice and reduce to almost dry, add 1/2 cup wine and reduce by half, add 1 cup of the duck stock and reduce until the bubbles cover the pan, add thin strips of orange zest, and 2 TBSP cold butter, while stirring vigorously to encorporate the butter in an emulsion. If it's too sweet add a drop or two of balsamic vinegar.
I like to slice the breast and serve over a green salad all drizzled with the sauce. But you can put the slices and sauce over wild rice or polenta or whatever you like. And think about tadding some of those cracklings.
This sounds like a lot of work but you get four generous servings out of one duck, instead of the two niggardly ones you get from one roast duck.