Is duck a boring fatty dish or can you do something to make it taste good?

Answer 1

Not really true, I've only cooked it once (it was wonderful) and watched it made once (not so good) which was a great learning lesson!


Delicious Roast Duck

Make a marinade with the following;
1 cup soy sauce
1-2 TBSP pure sesame oil (to taste)
3 green onions, finely sliced with some of the green tops
1/2 tsp ground 5-spice powder
1/4 C oyster sauce
1 TBSP granulated sugar
1 clove garlic minced OR 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
mix all above ingredients together then stir in
1/2 C dried cherries.

After washing the duck; pat it dry with kitchen roll (inside and out). Pierce the skin thoroughly with a cooking fork. Try to avoid puncturing the meat itself (though don't sweat it if you do!) - this is to encourage the fat to drain off and allows the marinade to get to the meat. When you think you've poked it enough, give it a few more all over, just to be sure (going for a pin-cushion effect!).

Put the duck into a large glass bowl or other non-metallic container and drench it, inside and out, with the marinade. Turn it over and over and make sure the marinade gets into the cavity. Bonus; the marinade will soak into the holes which helps you find the areas still needing poking. Let it rest in the marinade while you prepare the aromatics, the roasting pan and preheat the oven to 450 degrees (gas mark 8).

You will want to roast the duck in an open roasting pan, on a meat rack. If you don't have a rack, a raised cake cooling rack, placed in (or over) a roasting pan can do in a pinch.

Into the bottom of the roasting pan place the following aromatic veggies to help flavor the duck and sauce;
1 large onion roughly cut into large chunks - Into 4 of the chunks, push a whole dried clove (sometimes works better if you poke the onion with the tip of a knife).
4-6 toes of garlic (to taste), peeled and crushed
2-3 roughly chopped carrots (2 or 3 inch pieces fine - peeling not necessary)
1/2 cup dried cherries - soaking in 1/2 cup boiling water
Generously season with fresh cracked pepper

Place the duck, breast side up, onto the meat rack. Spoon at least two of the onion hunks (one w/cloves) and 2 or 3 pieces of carrot into the cavity.

Ladle some of the marinade into the cavity (make sure some of the cherries get in there, or stuff it with more of them if necessary). Ladle the rest over the whole duck, allowing it to pool in the roasting pan below.

Place the duck into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes at 450 then turn the oven down to 350 degrees (gas mark 4). After 20 more minutes (30 in full), baste the whole duck with the pan drippings and continue to baste every 10 minutes for the next hour, until 1 1/2 total cooking time has elapsed and the duck is finished. (If you want the skin to be crispier, for the last 10 minutes turn the oven up again to 450 and do not baste.)

Remove the duck from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes undisturbed while making the sauce;

The best way to make the sauce is to use a fat separator. If you don't own one, strain the drippings into a large clear glass bowl or pitcher and be patient as the fat rises to the top. While waiting, pick through the veggies and try and rescue some of the succulent cherries to add back into the sauce (or simply have another 1/4 cup of the dried fruit ready to go into the sauce for continuity of flavor). Spoon as much of the fat off the top of the drippings as possible.

Pour the remaining liquid into a heavy bottomed sauce-pan, add the cherries and bring it to a simmer; taste it for seasoning - it should be rich and salty and sweet all at the same time. To thicken it, mix 1 TBSP flour with 2 TBSP softened un-salted butter with a fork in a small shallow dish; when the sauce is at a low boil, add the thickener, whisking vigorously to remove the lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce is thickened.

Taste and adjust seasoning (more cracked pepper or salt as needed). If it is absolutely too rich (or salty); cut it with water, a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously.

Carve the duck as you would a whole chicken or turkey (remove and discard the veggies in the cavity). Simply serve with a gravy boat of sauce on the side.

Suggested side dishes;
Brown and wild rice pilaf
Rustic "smashed" red potatoes
Couscous
Slices of grilled polenta
Oven roasted asparagus

Enjoy!

Answer 2

Duck is in no way a boring fatty dish in fact it may be one of the best things to eat. Duck Con fit is a long process, but in the end, it is the most flavorful of all preparations.
Confit is made with the legs and thighs of a duck, and you usually want to make a lot because of the time it takes.

You first want to find rendered duck fat. You may be able to find it in specialty stores. If not trim the excess fat from the ducks and cook it in a pan till crispy (season and eat the crisp leftovers)
save the fat, You'll need enough to comp;letely cover the meat.

After the fat is trimmed, you need to cure the meat. I use a ratio of 2:1 granulated sugar to kosher salt with the zest of about 2 oranges. Coat the meat w/ the cure place on a rack in a deep pan, and cover w/ plastic, then refrigerate overnight.

Rinse the cure from the ducks and pat dry. place the ducks in a hotel pan and cover with the rendered fat. Put the pan in a 300 degree oven and be patient. It usually takes about 4-6 hours to cook. Whenever you can touch the duck with a pair of tongs and it tries to fall apart, its ready.
Remove the ducks from the fat and freeze the fat for the next time.
Preheat the broiler, then put the amount of duck you're going to eat under the heat till the skin is crispy. you'll love it.

Answer 3

There are many Duck cuisines. Two of my favourites are:

1. French cuisine - Confit de Canard (Preserved Duck)
Confit is a marriage of flavor between the duck meat and the fat -- the duck slowly tenderized in a warm bath of silky fat while the fat becomes infused with the rich, gamy flavor of the dark duck meat.
More info at: http://www.themediadrome.com/content/recipes/confit_de_canard.htm

2. Chinese cuisine - Peking Duck
Beijing's most famous dish, Peking Duck is traditionally served with Mandarin pancakes, and green onions for brushing on the hoisin sauce.
More info at: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/foodfestivals/a/pekingduck.htm

Answer 4

I think roast duck is great. And it is incredibly easy to prepare, because it bastes itself. Just salt inside and out, or rub soy sauce inside and out. Prick the skin all over, especially on the fattiest parts, so the fat will run out during cooking, and use a rack.

I you want a real treat, cut some large potatoes into wedges and cook them in the duck fat the last 30 minutes, turning them after15 minutes.

Answer 5

Duck when made properly is an exquisite dish! Slow roasted with plum or apricot sauce it is just divine. However like most meat, poultry, or fish dishes. . . . you need to have fresh quality duck! Wild duck to me has the best flavor but many people prefer a milder tasting domestic or farm raised duck. One of the best things about dining on duck is you can say. . "Phuck a duck". . . "AAAAAAFLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCKKKK"!!!

Answer 6

well i saw lots of the answers is roast, but to be,boil duck in rice soup much more unique. try like this. one cup of rice with loats of water,boil it, and add the duck. when the rice is soft,and the duck is cooked, take the duck out,leave it cool. make the sauce to go with it,some red chilli, fish sauce, lime juice, ginger roots,peel and chop really fine,sesoning with bit sugar...cut the duck and dip it with the sauce, while slice some white cabage really thin, mix with the rice soup(have to well seasoning as well) , yum,,ahh just think about it! this is vietnamese style by the way. they are so delicous...if u think its nice and u would like to try ,contact me i'll show u more detail how to make it.

Answer 7

I love duck. So tasty, beats the socks off any chicken dish.

Duck Breasts with Raspberry Sauce
Submitted by: Wynne
"If you want to use frozen raspberries for this recipe, allow them to thaw first."
Original recipe yield: 4 servings.
Prep Time:20 MinutesCook Time:30 MinutesReady In:50 MinutesServings:4 (change)

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INGREDIENTS:
4 duck breast halves
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons demerara sugar
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup creme de cassis liqueur
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 ounces raspberries

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DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven on broiler setting. Use a fork to score the duck breasts through the skin and fat but not all the way through to the meat.
Heat a large heavy skillet on medium high. Fry the duck breasts skin side down, until the skin browns and fat runs out, about 10 minutes. Remove the breasts from the pan, and pour off most of the fat. Return breasts to pan, and fry skin side up for another 10 minutes. Remove breasts from pan, and allow to rest on a baking sheet. Mix the sea salt, cinnamon and Demerara sugar together and sprinkle over the skin of the duck breasts. Pour most of the fat out of the frying pan.
Mix together the red wine, cassis, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour into the pan, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Add raspberries, and simmer for another minute until heated through.
Broil the duck breasts skin side up, until the sugar begins to caramelize, about 1 minute. Slice the duck breasts thinly, pour a little sauce over the top, and serve warm.

Answer 8

duck is lovely roasted in the oven with veg in a red wine sauce then about 15 mins before the end slice a couple of peaches up and put them in mmmmmmm

Answer 9

take the skin off. duck breasts are very good. score the skin with a sharp knife,, drizzle them with honey, and roast in a hot oven,, leave to rest for 5 mins or so then serve .. delicious.

Answer 10

It is truly a boring, fatty dish and I cannot stand it!