Couple of things I'd have done differently, but generally it was well
received. Thanks for the tips earlier.

Duck cooked about 30 minutes faster than estimated. Not a big problem.
Skin didn't come out especially crispy, not sure what we missed there.
The salt was too much though, next time I won't be rubbing the skin with
salt before cooking. Lot less meat on the bird than expected, but we fed
5 and nobody left the table hungry.

The roasted potatoes and pumpkin went over well, no leftovers there either.

Nobody touched either the gravy I made, or the 'orange sauce' that came
in the packet with the bird. No big loss there.

I'd do it again if I could get another duck on sale.



Dawn

"Dave Smith" > wrote

> Dawn wrote:
>
>> Couple of things I'd have done differently, but generally it was well
>> received. Thanks for the tips earlier.
>>
>> Duck cooked about 30 minutes faster than estimated. Not a big problem.
>> Skin didn't come out especially crispy, not sure what we missed there.
>> The salt was too much though, next time I won't be rubbing the skin with
>> salt before cooking. Lot less meat on the bird than expected, but we fed
>> 5 and nobody left the table hungry.

> You fed 5 people with just one duck? And they weren't hungry? Wow.

(laugh!!!) Exactly what I was thinking. I made duck once, I gather it
wasn't
a very big duck because there was hardly any meat on it, not even enough
for two. But there are ducks to feed five!? I had no idea.

nancy

On 2006-09-30, Dave Smith > wrote:

> last one I did was ghastly. The skin ended up like a neoprene wet suit.

LOL! Geez, that's sounds terrible.

I don't think I've ever done whole duck. Done margret de canard and
foie gras, but not whole roast duck. I should. I'd heard horror
stories of how bad they can be, but finally had half a roast duck at a
popular restaurant in Sacto, CA. I loved it. What's the best
approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
thing.

nb

notbob wrote:
> [snip] .... What's the best
> approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
> thing.

If you shoot wild duck you have to take note of its diet. Those that
eat fish taste, well, fishy. But to answer your question, the best
approach to roast duck is, beyond doubt, to find a Chinese deli or
grocery that sells roast duck. Go buy one and ask them to chop it up
for you. Take home and feast. That's been working successfully for us
for decades. Second best is to find a high quality restaurant and
order a Peking Duck in advance as part of a banquet. That'll show you
why the skin is prized. Somewhere further down the list would be to
find an excellent French restaurant and try duck a l'orange.... -aem

Dave Smith wrote:
>
>
> You fed 5 people with just one duck? And they weren't hungry? Wow.

It was nearly 6lbs, and we were sucking on the bones afterward. I can't
say they were huge portions, but everyone got a piece and we still have
a drumstick left.

But yeah, I did worry when I saw how much it had shrunk. I knew to
expect a lot of fat run off, but, jeez...



Dawn

Dawn wrote:

> Couple of things I'd have done differently, but generally it was well
> received. Thanks for the tips earlier.
>
> Duck cooked about 30 minutes faster than estimated. Not a big problem.
> Skin didn't come out especially crispy, not sure what we missed there.
> The salt was too much though, next time I won't be rubbing the skin with
> salt before cooking. Lot less meat on the bird than expected, but we fed
> 5 and nobody left the table hungry.
>
> The roasted potatoes and pumpkin went over well, no leftovers there either.
>
> Nobody touched either the gravy I made, or the 'orange sauce' that came
> in the packet with the bird. No big loss there.
>
> I'd do it again if I could get another duck on sale.

You fed 5 people with just one duck? And they weren't hungry? Wow. That is
amazing. One usually counts on a half a duck per person. They aren't that big
to begin with and there is usually so much fat on them that you can watch them
shrink while they cook.

A few months ago were were at a friend's place for dinner and he gave me his
recipe because I had told him before that I had sworn off cooking duck. It had
never been great and they seemed to be getting worse rather than better. The
last one I did was ghastly. The skin ended up like a neoprene wet suit.

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
> thing.

The difference between farm raised duck and wild duck is almost apples
and oranges. Farm raised 'Long Island' duck are larger with a longer,
less well developed breast (a good thing) and decent drumsticks. A wild
mallard is shorter with very small walking equipment comparably. Its
breast is thicker for the size of the duck and tougher. They fly a lot.
The farm raised duck has excellent and admired skin and it's fat is
considered a delicacy far and wide. The wild one has unpalatable skin
and I have no opinion regarding the taste of its fat.
The tame ones smell good when cooking. Some wild ducks (not mallards)
smell awful to me when cooking. But the wild puddle ducks pretty much
taste the same. Many say they taste like liver. I'm not a liver fan, but
I love the taste of wild puddle duck. My wife gags on them.
Then there are the diving ducks. A bear wouldn't eat some of them. But a
canvasback is supposed to be the 'king' of wild ducks. I'll take a
mallard.
The season is coming up, and I expect to bring some mallards back on the
opener.

leo

--
<http://web0.greatbasin.net/~leo/>

On 2006-09-30, Leonard Blaisdell > wrote:
> The season is coming up, and I expect to bring some mallards back on the
> opener.

Sounds like big fun, Leo. I hope you have a bountiful season.

nb

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:04:03 -0700, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>
>You fed 5 people with just one duck? And they weren't hungry? Wow. That is
>amazing. One usually counts on a half a duck per person. They aren't that big
>to begin with and there is usually so much fat on them that you can watch them
>shrink while they cook.

5 is a weird number if you're talking about roased duck. Maybe there
is an untold story. I wouldn't even try to feed 5 people an ordinary
chicken if I didn't have large proportions of other dishes to offer.

As far as "fixing" duck. Your duck has way too much fat. Somehow or
other, you need to introduce it to boiling water so you can melt away
a lot of the fat it comes with. Most of the ducks that have been
harvested for thier livers are fat.

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:13:30 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>(laugh!!!) Exactly what I was thinking. I made duck once, I gather it
>wasn't a very big duck because there was hardly any meat on it, not
> even enough for two. But there are ducks to feed five!? I had no idea.

Cassoulet is calling my name right now....

Oh pshaw, on Fri 29 Sep 2006 05:16:15p, notbob meant to say...

> On 2006-09-30, Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> last one I did was ghastly. The skin ended up like a neoprene wet
suit.
>
> LOL! Geez, that's sounds terrible.
>
> I don't think I've ever done whole duck. Done margret de canard and
> foie gras, but not whole roast duck. I should. I'd heard horror
> stories of how bad they can be, but finally had half a roast duck at a
> popular restaurant in Sacto, CA. I loved it. What's the best
> approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
> thing.
>
> nb
>

Pricking the skin frequently and pouring off the accumulated fat will help
with crisping the skin, as will a high temp near the end. I generally
stuff with fruit.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Cats don't correct your stories.

Oh pshaw, on Fri 29 Sep 2006 06:45:39p, Dawn meant to say...

> Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>>
>> You fed 5 people with just one duck? And they weren't hungry? Wow.
>
> It was nearly 6lbs, and we were sucking on the bones afterward. I can't
> say they were huge portions, but everyone got a piece and we still have
> a drumstick left.
>
> But yeah, I did worry when I saw how much it had shrunk. I knew to
> expect a lot of fat run off, but, jeez...

Ducks and geese are notorious for a lot of fat accumulation when roasted. I
usually plan 1 duck for 2 people. Anything left over is wonderful for a
salad.



--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Cats don't correct your stories.

sf wrote:

>
> As far as "fixing" duck. Your duck has way too much fat. Somehow or
> other, you need to introduce it to boiling water so you can melt away
> a lot of the fat it comes with.

Won't boiling it result in a rubber ducky?


Dawn

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 15:55:23 GMT, Dawn >
wrote:

>sf wrote:
>
>>
>> As far as "fixing" duck. Your duck has way too much fat. Somehow or
>> other, you need to introduce it to boiling water so you can melt away
>> a lot of the fat it comes with.
>
>Won't boiling it result in a rubber ducky?
>
>
You can pour boiling water over it, as the Chinese do (they also dip
it briefly into a pot of boiling water). I've done it with success in
the past - but mainly, I don't roast duck. I use it in other dishes
such as cassoulet.

Google for Peking Duck recipes if you want to know more about giving
your ducky a water bath.

"Dave Smith" > wrote

> notbob wrote:

>> approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
>> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
>> thing.

> Considering my string of failures with dick I am the last person to ask
> :-)

Oh ... I'm sorry, Dave, I didn't know.

nancy

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:08:00 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>
>"Dave Smith" > wrote
>
>> notbob wrote:
>
>>> approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
>>> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
>>> thing.
>
>> Considering my string of failures with dick I am the last person to ask
>> :-)
>
>Oh ... I'm sorry, Dave, I didn't know.
>
I had to read it twice too.

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:21:51 -0700, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>The last one I did was so bad I
>vowed I would never again try to cook a duck.

Oh, come on... it couldn't have been *that* bad!

Your oven (on the other hand) was probably a complete disaster. I
dislike roasting duck even though I have a self-cleaning oven. It's
just plain messy. You have to crank up the heat to crisp the skin,
but the fat smokes and splatters..... ick.

notbob wrote:

> > last one I did was ghastly. The skin ended up like a neoprene wet suit.
>
> LOL! Geez, that's sounds terrible.
>
> I don't think I've ever done whole duck. Done margret de canard and
> foie gras, but not whole roast duck. I should. I'd heard horror
> stories of how bad they can be, but finally had half a roast duck at a
> popular restaurant in Sacto, CA. I loved it. What's the best
> approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
> thing.
>

Considering my string of failures with dick I am the last person to ask :-)
First of all, don't use wild duck. Get a domestic critter. You need to prick
the skin and rub it with salt. It needs to be done in a big pan with a rack
because there is a LOT of fat that will be dripping off it. The skin should
be a little crispy.

I have had roast duck , usually duck a l'orange many time in restaurants and
it's great. I just haven't had success doing it myself.

Nancy Young wrote:

> "Dave Smith" > wrote
>
> > notbob wrote:
>
> >> approach to roast duck? I'm not a duck hunter, but figure raised duck
> >> is likely to be more tender (and more fatty), but shouldn't be a bad
> >> thing.
>
> > Considering my string of failures with dick I am the last person to ask
> > :-)
>
> Oh ... I'm sorry, Dave, I didn't know.
>

That's okay. I probably don't want the whole world to know that I can't cook a
duck. I have have lots of cooking successes over the years. I have had lots of
luck with baking, puddings, stir fries, roast chickens, roast turkey, pork,
lamb. But damn it, I have trouble with duck. The last one I did was so bad I
vowed I would never again try to cook a duck.

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:13:30 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:
>(laugh!!!) Exactly what I was thinking. I made duck once, I gather it
>wasn't
>a very big duck because there was hardly any meat on it, not even enough
>for two. But there are ducks to feed five!? I had no idea.

Yes, there are, but not easy to find. Must weigh at least 2 kgs (4 lbs
approx). I do find them at the farmer's market here in Lausanne.

Nathalie in Switzerland

"Nathalie Chiva" > wrote

> On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:13:30 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
> wrote:
>>(laugh!!!) Exactly what I was thinking. I made duck once, I gather it
>>wasn't
>>a very big duck because there was hardly any meat on it, not even enough
>>for two. But there are ducks to feed five!? I had no idea.
>
> Yes, there are, but not easy to find. Must weigh at least 2 kgs (4 lbs
> approx). I do find them at the farmer's market here in Lausanne.

Thanks. I would have to order something like that from a butcher.

nancy

One time on Usenet, Dave Smith > said:

> Peking ducks , the cute white things, go to market at about
> 8 weeks. The usual restaurant duck a'lorange serving is half
> a Peking duck.

The correct name for white ducks is Pekin, no "g". "Peking duck" is
a recipe. While the name does come from their being Chinese in origin,
it's still pronounced "pE-kin". I had four pet Pekins as a pre-teen,
so it's kind of a pet peeve thing for me... :-)


--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Nancy Young wrote:

>
> (laugh!!!) Exactly what I was thinking. I made duck once, I gather it
> wasn't
> a very big duck because there was hardly any meat on it, not even enough
> for two. But there are ducks to feed five!? I had no idea.

Muscovy ducks get to be a pretty good size and are usually kept around longer
before "market" (euphemism for slaughter). Peking ducks , the cute white
things, go to market at about 8 weeks. The usual restaurant duck a'lorange
serving is half a Peking duck. If you get roasted or grilled duck breast and it
is nice and plump it is probably Muscovy.