How do you cook....?

Question

I wanna cook Thankgiving dinner for the frist time. Can some one tell how do you cook a duck and what are some other foods to go with it?

Answer 1

for duck or turkey or fowl in general, start the bird in a roasting pan and put it in a 425F oven. Yes 425F. you are searing the outside and making it a nice golden brown. When that is done, depends on the size of the bird, turn the oven down to 325 to 350 depending on your oven and again the size of the bird. Larger birds need more cooking time and less temp. I usually roast mine partially frozen it makes for a very moist bird. I don't remember what the exact temp for a duck is but stick the thigh with a fork and if the juices run clear your done. AS WITH ALL MEATS DON'T FORGET TO REST THE DUCK!! 15 minuets to let the juices settle.

Answer 2

I don't think duck is a good choice unless you're planning to serve other main courses or if you're cooking for just 2 or 3 people. Ducks don't have a lot of meat on them and if you're planning to make a full course meal, the work that you'll have to put into the duck is out of proportion to the number that the final result will feed. I'd opt for the traditional turkey and enjoy the delicious leftovers, which can be frozen to eat at a later date.

Everything you need to know is on this web site: http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/thanks/feature/default.asp

Happy Thanksgiving! :-)

Answer 3

You don't have to cook turkey as stated in the first answer. But as far as othe things that go with Thanksgiving Dinner. We typically have:
Both Turkey and Ham
Mashed potatoes/baked sweet yams
Greenbean casserole
Fresh Corn
Dressing/Stuffing
Yeast Rolls
a salad of some sorts
then: desserts: Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Banana Bread Pudding
Enjoy and Have fun cooking

Answer 4

I tried it one time for Christmas dinner. You have been given some good recipes here already, but they left out one important thing with both duck and goose. Take a fork and punch several holes in the skin to let the fat run out. This is why you need a rack under it, so that it is not swimming in fat. Good luck!!!

Answer 5

First time? You need to consult a little old lady or a cookbook, because even if I told you what to do, step by step, you would still have trouble understanding it. There is more to roasting a duck than a salt water bath and butter baste.

I admire your ambition, and strongly suggest buying a cookbook, or at least search recipe sites (not yahoo answers) for help with this one.

Answer 6

Try getting a cook book, that will help with the duck. As for what goes with it, that would be your choice. Personally I prefer turkey on Thanksgiving.

Answer 7

Sorry, I don't know how to cook a duck, but I do know how to make homemade mashed potatoes....
Peel off the skins of the potatoe, boil in water for around 10 minutes, or until they look good enough, and then mush! You can add anything in them and they are delicious!

Answer 8

GOOD for you . Here are some simple accompainments to the turkey.

Sweet Potato Surprise

4 medium size sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
½ cup milk
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1 cup dried coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup of all purpose flour

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl combine white sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla and sweet potatoes. Pour into a 3 quart baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping. Mix by hand until crumbly. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. The casserole should turn slightly brown or golden. Serve piping hot!

Pumpkin Pie the Easy Way

What you will need:
1 pie shell (an adult can help you make it, or it can be purchased from the grocery store pre-made)
1 can of pumpkin pie filling (or an adult can help you make it from a pie pumpkin)

What to do:
Prepare pie filling according to directions on the can. Pour prepared pie filling into the pie shell. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes. Center should be solid and crust edges should be golden brown. Serve while warm with a little vanilla ice cream. Delicious!

Here is a really simple roast turkey recipe.

ROAST TURKEY

Ingredients:
# 1 Turkey (9 1/2 lbs)

# Marinade:
1/4 cup dry mustard (4T)
2 TBLsps. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 1/2 TBLsps. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Make more marinade if your turkey is larger than 9 1/2 lbs. Make marinade into a soft paste (more like a thick marinade) and paint it all over a well-thawed turkey, inside and out, a few hours before you're going to cook it, or the day before.

Using:
1 onion
1-2 celery stalks
some parsley
2 pieces of bacon
1 stick of butter
Inside, place onion, celery, parsley. Across the breast lay bacon and in the crevice between the drumstick and the body, tuck in chunks of butter. Soak a dish towel or piece of cheesecloth in olive oil and lay it over the turkey, which you put in an uncovered roaster. Add 1 to 2 cups stock from cooking the gizzard, neck, etc. or use canned chicken broth, for basting right through the cheesecloth the whole time only once or twice during the roasting. You, of course, can baste more if you like. Cook at 300 degrees for:
7-10 lb.-30 min. per lb.
10-15 lb.-20 min. per lb.
15-18 lb.-18 min. per lb.
18-20 lb.-15 min. per lb.
20-23 lb.-13 min per lb.
I did, however, cook my turkey 1 hour longer than the above scale shows. Don't worry the turkey will be the juicest ever.

HOT SAUSAGE DRESSING

Ingredients:
1 lb. hot good sausage
7-10 stalks celery, chopped fine
3 large onions, chopped fine
1/2-3/4 cup, snipped fresh parsley
1 lb. pkg. herb-seasoned stuffing mix, not cubes
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
1 stick butter/margarine
lots of snipped fresh sage & thyme, if available, or
1-2 TBLsps. dried sage
1-2 TBLsps. dried thyme
Few shakes of poultry seasoning
milk

Saute sausage, breaking it up in small bits. Drain off fat and set aside. In large bowl, mix celery, onion, parsley, and stuffing mix. Beat eggs and add with fresh or dried herbs and seasonings. Add milk, blending a small amount at a time, until mixure is of dressing consistency. Fold in cooked sausage. Taste and correct seasonings. Put in containers to freeze (if making ahead of time) or in pottery dishes to bake as soon as the turkey-bird comes out of the oven to await carving. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees (size container determines time; don't let it dry out). Serves 8.

Don't let these pessimists dishearten you. GO AHEAD and DO it I am sure you will do a GREAT job.

Best Wishes.

Answer 9

For starters you cook a turkey not a duck for this holiday

Answer 10

Go to foodtv.com
Alton Brown had a show on how to cook a duck and it was really good.
Not only that but on that site they have videos on food preparation, tips etc. and I do believe they may have had duck.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_13045,00.html