The Duck That Came In From the Cold

[elleng]

'For a succulent winter meal, steam duck legs, then roast them and serve with a crunchy, spicy persimmon salad.

It was cold and rainy as I wandered the market the other day — “nice weather for ducks,” as the old saying goes. I know it refers to damp meteorological conditions, but somehow that phrase always makes me a little hungry.

As fate would have it, Hudson Valley Duck Farm was selling its wares just a few feet away. I walked away with six fat moulard duck legs in my shopping bag. The moulard is a cross between the Muscovy and Pekin varieties, with legs that are perfect for braising, which is what I intended to do.

Until I changed my mind.

Maybe it was the fetchingly diminutive daikon radishes at the next stand, or the frilly cilantro. The duck was suddenly headed in a Chinese direction.

Some Chinese cookbooks recommend steaming duck before roasting it to crisp the skin. It is a good technique to master. Steaming yields moist, tender duck, and it provides bonus ingredients to save for later: the liquid left in the steaming pot contains a fair amount of rendered duck fat and a small amount of concentrated duck broth. The two will separate when refrigerated.

I seasoned the legs with a blend of toasted Sichuan pepper and salt and left them to cure for a few hours before cooking. Many pasta pots, mine included, come with a steaming basket insert. A few crushed cinnamon sticks and star anise pods in the basket would perfume the duck as it steamed.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/dining/steamed-duck-leg-recipe.html?

[PJMcK]

1. I love duck!

Last year, I roasted a duckling for Thanksgiving for a change of pace. It was delicious although it took quite a bit of time for such a relatively small bird. Well worth the wait, however.

Usually, it's one of those dishes I'd order in a restaurant since it's a lang and messy preparation. But the Times' recipe makes me want to cook one again.

Thanks, elleng!