Beer Sauce With Duck Food

DUCK SAUCE

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and warm over a medium heat, stirring gently so that everything combines evenly, then whisking so the apricot jam becomes smooth. When the sauce starts to simmer, remove from the heat. Blend the sauce if you prefer a smoother consistency. Serve warm with duck.

PEKING DUCK WITH HONEY AND FIVE-SPICE GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)
• Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.
• Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.
• Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.
• Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.
• Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices to form sauce.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.

BEER CAN DUCK

Steps:

• Salt the duck and place it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to dry out.
• Preheat oven to 425.
• Pierce the duck skin with a sharp knife in multiple locations (10 to 20 pierces over the whole duck). Make sure not to pierce through to the meat. Piercing at an angle will help to ensure you only go through skin and fat.
• Combine ingredients for the rub and rub over the entire duck.
• Open the can, empty half and pierce 2-3 extra holes in the top. Optionally you can make extra rub and add to the can.
• Plug the duck neck opening with a small lime or shallot or spud (whatever you have handy that's golfball size).
• Stand the can in a relatively deep drip pan with a bit of water in the pan (preferably using a beer butt stand which you can get for $6 or less) and lower the duck onto the can shoving it into the backside as far up as it goes.
• Place in oven and roast for one hour at 425, then one hour at 375, and then one hour at 325.
• Remove from oven and carefully separate can from bird then carve and serve.
• You will have a huge amount of rendered duck fat in the pan which you can refrigerate or freeze and save for future use.

WILD DUCK WITH ROOT BEER SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the salt, black pepper, marjoram, thyme, sage, paprika, garlic powder in a bowl. Dredge the duck breasts in this mixture. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet. When the oil is smoking add the duck breasts with the flour coating and fry until there is a nice brown crust on each breast on each side. Remove the breasts to a baking dish and place in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remember, wild duck is best when still a little pink inside.
• Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch in with the chicken broth, then add to the skillet and stir to loosen drippings. Turn down the heat and simmer while preparing the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. When the sugar has melted add the sauce from the skillet. Add the root beer to the sauce pan. Simmer until slightly thickened. Add the white wine and serve over slices of the roasted duck breast.