Recipe for Roast Duck - Thanksgiving Feast 2012

Thanksgiving Dinner 2012--- What The Duck?!

Our Thanksgiving Dinner throughout the years has been divided between Lamb or the standard Turkey. However this year it was decided I should prepare a Duck.  Having spent 40 + years in Minnesota, it was common for us to hunt wild game, so I have accumulated a few recipes. But this Duck is not going to be a wild duck but instead a domestic duck, farm raised, full of fat, bought in the super market frozen, and as such, with an unknown outcome. Undaunted, I embarked on the process of thawing (2 days), pricking and scoring the skin, and coating with a very light sprinkling of kosher salt.  I will not keep you in suspense any longer; the end result was a beautiful, well prepared, delicious Duck. If you have never prepared a domestic duck, be not afraid, as I will share with you my process.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Duck about 5-6 lbs.

Kosher salt

FOR THE GLAZE:

3 Tbs.  Orange juice

1 Tbs. Soy sauce

2 Tbs.  Molasses (or maple syrup)

¼ cup Honey

¼ cup Panda Express Orange Sauce.

Note: If you do not have some of these ingredients on hand, there is no need to rush to the store to purchase them, simply choose not to use them and instead, add extra honey, orange juice and corn syrup. This should give you a nice glaze.

Be sure to clean out the cavity of the bird, cut off the excess fat from the front as well as the rear including the “parsons nose”. 

Prick the skin all over, score diagonally ending up with diamond shaped marks, sprinkle with kosher salt, truss the wings and legs.

Note: This is a low and slow process that will take in excess of 4 hours to finish. Do not become overly anxious, as the reward is a juicy (not fatty or dry) tasting bird. I also placed a quartered apple in the cavity.

 If time is of the essence, increase the temperature to 350 degrees, turn the bird in 40 to 45 minute intervals, but check the internal temperature each time you turn the bird to prevent over cooking.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Roast uncovered for one hour, breast side up.

Turn the duck to breast side down, prick and drain fat from the pan. Roast for one hour.

Turn the duck to breast side up, prick and drain the fat. Roast for one hour.

Turn the duck to breast side down, prick and drain the fat, Roast for one hour.

Increase the temperature to 400 degrees, turn the duck to breast side up, roast for 10 minutes.

This is the time to brush on the glaze and finish cooking for another 5-7 minutes at 400 degrees.  By now the duck should have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove the duck from the roaster. Place it on a cooling rack; let it rest while preparing to serve.

I hope the pictures will help guide you through the process and although it may appear to be complicated, I think you will agree it is a matter of replication of a single step and a bit of time. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and the leftovers were used for Asian duck tacos.

Note: You have probably questioned the lack of seasonings but should you desire to add herbs and vegetables to the roaster during the cooking process, by all means do. I personally found it unnecessary and derived a benefit of flavor from the glaze.

Thank you for allowing me to share some time and thoughts with you.

Clark Williams, chef

 

Fresh Fruit Tart Recipe - Revisited for Thanksgiving

Now that the weather is changing from summer to Fall and to Winter  (in some locations), and with the Thanksgiving Holiday coming on more rapidly than we planned, there will be more incentive for us to practice our baking skills in preparation for the “Big event”.

While reviewing my previous posts and comments from viewers, it became apparent there is a continuing interest in “tarts”, so this post is a follow up with a slightly different pattern.

The basic recipe remains the same only the construction of the tart is different.  Please keep in mind it is not necessary to try to duplicate the pattern as your creative skills can be put to the test to design one even more appealing to you.

As a reminder, Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks for our bountiful food supply, our friends and family and the lovely followers of my blog. It is also a time to share with those less fortunate so they may also have a warm meal and a show of friendship.

Clark Williams, Personal Chef

Basic Tart Dough    

Ingredients:

1                                  Egg Yolk

1½ to 2 T                     Ice water

1 tsp                            Vanilla Extract

1 ¼  cups                    AP flour

1/3  cup                       Sugar 

¼ tsp                           Salt

8 T  (1 stick)                Butter, unsalted, cut into ½ “ cubes

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk the beaten egg yolk, water and vanilla and set aside.

Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until combined.  Add the butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles oatmeal with some larger (roughly pea size) clumps.  Drizzle the yolk mixture over the flour mixture and pulse until dough forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat it into a ball and flatten into a disk.  Use the dough immediately, or wrap it in a plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.  NOTE: the dough can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month.

When the dough has rested, lightly flour the work surface and your hands, and flatten the disk.  Gently lift the disk and turn it over on to the floured surface.  Lightly dust the top of the dough and the rolling pin, then roll out until the dough is about 1/8” thick, gently lifting and occasionally turning the dough a quarter turn.  Roll the dough until it is approximately 2” greater than the diameter of the tart pan.

Press the dough into and up the sides of the tart pan and trim the excess with a sharp knife or by rolling the pin over the surface of the pan.

Bake at 350 F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is lightly brown.  Remember to prick the fresh dough with a fork before baking.  Set aside to cool completely.  Makes 1 9½” tart or 12 miniature tartlets

Fresh Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

Crust:

½ cup              Confectioners sugar

1 ½ cups         AP flour

1 ½ sticks        Unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling:

1 pkg.              Cream Cheese (8 oz), softened

½ cup              Granulated sugar

1 tsp                Pure vanilla extract

Topping:          Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries

Glaze:

1 can               Frozen limeade concentrate (6oz) thawed

1 Tbsp             Cornstarch                 

1 Tbsp             Fresh limejuice

¼ cup              Granulated sugar                   

Whipped Cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F

For the crust:  In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, process until the mixture forms a ball.  With your fingers, press the dough into a 12” tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides of the pan.  Pat until the crust is even.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned.  Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping:  Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth.  Spread over the cooled crust.  Cut the strawberries into ¼” slices and arrange around the edge of the crust.  For the next circle, use kiwi slices.  Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries.  Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.

For the Glaze:  Combine the limeade, cornstarch, limejuice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes.  Let cool.  With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart.  You will not use all the glaze.

Refrigerate the tart.  About 15 minutes before serving, remove and slice into 8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 8