Kaoru: Ginger Braised Duck

Duck? I’d never made duck before, so when I read Julie’s posting, I was struck with anxiety.

Yet, when my nephew declared "this is the best [blog] dish so far," I knew I had hit a home run. Despite his proclivity for consuming carbs and fruit, he went to town with the duck using both of his hands. I have to admit, the duck was pretty scrumptious. It was sweet, juicy, flavorful and, as Mr. Martini (not to be confused with Mr. Latte) noted, "fall-off-the-bone tender."

The braising: The 4+ lb Muscovy duck was still frozen solid when I was ready to braise, so I returned to the store for help: Place entirely in container full of cold water, in sink. Let sit in water, with fresh water from the faucet trickling in to the container. Allow the water to overflow in to the sink. After an hour, the duck was perfectly thawed, just as I was advised.

The braising itself was a piece of cake. Like Julie, Mr. Martini and I closely monitored the “lazy bubbles”, but found it somewhat challenging. It actually doesn’t really matter that much. Just be careful when flipping the duck: mine ker-plunked a mini-tsunami wave over the side of the pot. Cleaning up duck muck is not fun. Once cooled, I placed the duck and cooking liquid in the fridge separately.

The broth: The next day, I took out the pot and noticed that the fat had formed a thick crust on top of the duck broth. I’m sure it’s lovely, but I couldn’t get myself to keep it. The broth itself however was one of of the most delicious by-products of cooking I have ever encountered. It will be an amazing addition to risotto, pasta sauce, or a dozen other dishes!

The roasting: This step way amazingly simple given that the duck had already been braised and cooked through. I roasted ~40 minutes. And, in place of sherry, I used sake to bring out more of an Asian flavor. Once finished, I let the bird rest, upon which Mr. Martini sliced it up very nicely for the table (thanks Mr. Martini!).

The meal: I served the duck with watercress and roux from the pan. The watercress provided a bitter contrast to the duck’s richness, and the roux allowed everyone to pour some additional flavor on top before eating. As sides, I also served sautéed bok choy and Japanese rice. The harmony of flavors from the various dishes was quite something and I could not have been more pleased with my first duck experience. Like my nephew, this dish might be my favorite one thus far.

I really love how our group has challenged me to prepare dishes with ingredients I had never used in all my years of cooking. Further, our group has taught me to be a bit more fearless in the kitchen. I never thought I'd say this: I truly can't wait to make duck again!