Whole Duck Food

MIGHTY DUCK

Steps:

• Combine the salt, pineapple-orange juice, peppercorns, thyme, and garlic in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
• Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart from the duck. Cut off the wings with a knife or kitchen shears.
• Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone and reserve for another use, like stock.
• Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breastbone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through just the skin and not the meat.
• Line the inside of a food-safe plastic container or pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
• When ready to cook, place a 12-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and heat oven to 475ºF. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes to render out some of the fat.
• Remove the duck pieces from the steamer (Save the water for another use, like cooking potatoes.) and place the legs, skin-side down, into the hot skillet. Return the skillet to the hot oven immediately and roast the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin-side down, and cook until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp, about 7 more minutes.
• Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.
• Serve the duck with the chard.

WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• For the Filling: After soaking rice overnight, drain out excess water. Steam, covered, over light heat until soft. Boil skinless chestnut in water until soft. In a large pan, saute shallots, ginger, Chinese sausage, and prosciutto, until shallots are soft and translucent. Add all remaining ingredients and spices. Mix well, making sure not to break the chestnuts. Stuff the duck. Sew back up tightly, wrap with string in 3 or 4 places.
• For the Marinade for the Duck: Mix all ingredients very well together.
• For the Duck: Pour boiling water over the entire duck. Remove and dry the duck. Rub the marinade into the skin and marinate 45 minutes turning frequently.
• To deep fry the duck, remove it from the marinade. Deep-fry in vegetable oil at 350 degrees F until golden brown.
• For the Wine and herb mixture, for steaming: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
• When duck is golden brown remove it from hot oil submerge it in the wine and herb mixture. Place the whole vessel, duck and wine into steamer. Then steam for 2 hours in a covered pan. Serve with winter melon.

CITRUS-RUBBED WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Zest oranges and lemons and chop zest finely.
• Squeeze juice from oranges and lemons.
• In a small bowl combine zest, juice, pepper and salt.
• Rub duck, inside and out, with all of the citrus-pepper mixture.
• In a roasting pan set duck on a vertical roaster and cook about 2 1/2 hours, or until well-browned and crispy.
• Let rest, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes before carving.

STEAMED AND ROASTED WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• To reduce the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body.
• Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out.
• Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate.
• Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel.
• Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium.
• Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically.
• Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer and stir for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
• The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out.
• Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan.
• Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze.
• Stick the whole thing in the oven.
• Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color.
• Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark.
• The legs will wiggle easily when it's done.
• Carve and serve.