Sunday, February 09, 2014

Double Ducks

Wednesday 5 February
Harold arrived today, and we thought we'd welcome him with something unusual.  Since duck can be bought fresh here for very little more than chicken, we got ourselves a most ingenious pair of ducks. 
We pricked their breasts to let the fat run out, and the two of them roasted side-by-side in the highest setting of the oven (220º C, 475º F) for only about a half hour, and even then the breasts were a bit overcooked, though their skin was nowhere near crispy. 
But the breasts were all we were having for this dinner, so we carved them off and set them aside.  Then we poured off some of the duck fat to fry a panful of potato batons, and made a fresh cherry sauce thickened with pan drippings and a tablespoon of oxford orange marmelade.
Finally the duck went into a frying pan for a minute to reheat and crisp its skin, and the whole dish came together.  Both cherry and orange go great with duck, and the two together made it extraordinary. 
We made some broth with the carcasses, so we have that set aside along with the duck legs and scraps for future meals.  It'll be duck soup!  (A sign-off we prefer to the heartfelt advice from the British Anatid Marketing Board: "Go Duck Yourself!")


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