Cooking Duck

[don4l]

I want to cook a duck dish. However, often in restaurants it can be quite tough - even when pink.

How do I ensure that it turns out tender. I will either roast or fry it.

TIA

[Shaw Tarse]

Whole duck?
Big Al...

[don4l]

Shaw Tarse said:

Whole duck?
Big Al...

Oops! I should have said duck breasts.

However a whole duck would be nice for another occasion.

My proposed dish is going to be a slice of fried polenta with a layer of buttered spinach topped with duck breast. It will be served with a plum sauce and some roasted green asparagus.

I had this in a local gastro pub a few years ago, and it was delicious. Unfortunately, I never found out what they had done to the spinach, and they went bust before I could return.

[Big Al.]

Shaw Tarse said:

Whole duck?
Big Al...

Emm, that reminds me, might do one again soon.

[moleamol]

I'd get it up to room temperature, fry it skin side down very hot to render some fat, sear the other side and then let it finish in the oven.

[mattdaniels]

don4l said:

I want to cook a duck dish. However, often in restaurants it can be quite tough - even when pink.

How do I ensure that it turns out tender. I will either roast or fry it.

TIA

I love duck breasts. My suggestions:

1. Spend time trimming off as much sinew from the bottom as possible and cut out the yukky little tube. Make sure there's no feathers or shot or anything left in it.

2. Cook the breasts from the fridge, start with a cold pan on a low heat and take time bringing the pan up to temperature (I can easily take half an hour to do this). You're only trying to cook the fat at this stage. The trick is to start the fat rendering down before the flesh begins to cook. Regularly pour off the fat, keep the pan as dry as possible for as long as possible.

3. Whack the heat up to crisp up the fat and start cooking the flesh itself.

4. Flip them over and give them 30 seconds on the other side. Throw in some butter and baste.

5. Out of the pan and rest for 10 minutes then carve.

Lush.

Good luck!

[grumbledoak]

Out of the fridge for three hours. Start in a cold pan, skin side down, for about six minutes a side then finish in the oven or the pan for maybe ten more. Rest under foil for at least ten minutes.

Edited by grumbledoak on Friday 15th April 18:32

[don4l]

Thank you gents! I shall cook it as you suggest.

Can you hazard a guess as to what the restaurants were doing wrong?

[BoRED S2upid]

Make sure you get all the shot out of it first can be troublesome with Duck and Pheasant.

[don4l]

BoRED S2upid said:

Make sure you get all the shot out of it first can be troublesome with Duck and Pheasant.

The duck will probably come from the supermarket. However, there is a butcher in Hartley Whitnet that sells unusual stuff. I might pay them a visit.

[GT2CS]

try this:

http://www.gressinghamduck.co.uk/how-to/how-to-coo...

Similar to the method already mentioned, but a bit more detailed - scoring is important

[don4l]

mattdaniels said:

don4l said:

I want to cook a duck dish. However, often in restaurants it can be quite tough - even when pink.

How do I ensure that it turns out tender. I will either roast or fry it.

TIA

I love duck breasts. My suggestions:

1. Spend time trimming off as much sinew from the bottom as possible and cut out the yukky little tube. Make sure there's no feathers or shot or anything left in it.

2. Cook the breasts from the fridge, start with a cold pan on a low heat and take time bringing the pan up to temperature (I can easily take half an hour to do this). You're only trying to cook the fat at this stage. The trick is to start the fat rendering down before the flesh begins to cook. Regularly pour off the fat, keep the pan as dry as possible for as long as possible.

3. Whack the heat up to crisp up the fat and start cooking the flesh itself.

4. Flip them over and give them 30 seconds on the other side. Throw in some butter and baste.

5. Out of the pan and rest for 10 minutes then carve.

Lush.

Good luck!

I did what you said, and I must admit that I, and my wife, are very impressed.

I didn't manage to get rid of all the fat, but two thirds of it was fat free with a wonderful crispy skin. I think that I kept it too cool. I turned off the heat a few times.

Anyway, the OH said that she never expected to be able to eat such a dish at home.

I'm feeling a bit chuffed. 15 months ago I could barely do scrambled eggs.

Here is a photo of the result. I am a lousy photographer, and the OH has agreed that she will take any future photos.

[otolith]

I've only cooked wild duck once, but I'd say it's a different meat to farmed duck. Much leaner. With farmed duck breast fillets, I agree with pan then oven, serve pink.