Subject: The Best Roast Duck
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Fri Aug 03 2001 - 08:56:45 EDT
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F O O D F U N N Y
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Here's a true food funny from reader Ann Bracken, along with a
testimonial to the power of good cooking:
When we adopted our children (at the time aged 9 and 12) they informed
us they HATED Chinese food. Curious as to their aversion, we started
taking them to other Asian restaurants: Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean,
etc. They always loved the food, but insisted they hated Chinese.
Knowing they didn't know the names of the many types of foods, we
started cooking Chinese and letting them think it was something else.
We even slipped in a couple Chinese restaurants this way. They
finally caught on, accepted that they liked "those" restaurants and
what we made, but still hated Chinese food.
Two years later we finally found out why they insisted on that.
Whenever their various foster parents had cooked "Chinese food," it
had come from the canned stuff in the stores! No wonder they thought
they hated it!
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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P E
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As everyone who has cooked duck knows, it can be something of a
challenge. Most recipes either produce greasy results owing to the
large amount of fat under the skin of domesticated ducks, or dry,
tough meat resulting from over cooking in an attempt to render some of
that fat. The cooks at Chef's Magazine devised this two-step process
to address both those concerns.
The Best Roast Duck
2 whole Long Island (also known as Pekin) ducks,
about 4 1/2 lbs (2 Kg) each
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Trim all visible fat from the ducks. Place them in a large steamer or
on a wire rack in a roasting pan with water in the bottom. Steam
tightly covered over moderate heat for 50 minutes, adding more water
if necessary. Allow to cool enough to handle and cut each duck into
six pieces: two wings, two legs, and two breast halves, removing and
discarding the back bones. At this point the ducks may be
refrigerated until ready to cook, up to 24 hours. Season with salt
and pepper and place the pieces skin side down in a lightly greased
roasting pan. Bake in a preheated 425F (220C) oven about 25 minutes,
until the skin on the breasts is browned and crisp, removing any fat
that accumulates in the bottom of the pan. Remove the breasts to a
platter and cover with aluminum foil. Turn the remaining pieces and
bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, again removing accumulated fat as
they cook. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
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