I'm hot and cold on Alton Brown who hosts a show on the Food Network, Good Eats. More of a game show host than a chef, some of his use of props and embellishment of the chemistry and molecular physics behind cooking are downright silly. Moreover, I don't honestly find inspiration in many of his recipes. I think he over-complicates a lot of them because he has to fill up a thirty minute show devoted entirely to virtually one recipe or ingredient. I mean, just how long can you talk about broccoli? He even once had on show devoted entirely to making a cup of coffee. Alton was misting water on top of the grounds before pouring over the hot water to break the surface tension, for god's sake, like that really matters.
In my quest for the perfect oven-style barbecue, I did try an oven-cooked rib recipe of his once. It didn't work well, and so I pretty much dismissed Alton as a source of kitchen inspiration and try to enjoy the show for its entertainment value (and more likely, because there's nothing else to watch on television).
This recipe, however, would be the sole exception.
I love duck, but who makes it anymore besides some Chinese restaurants? And even at that, they're few and far between at least in these parts. And then, yet again at that, what kind of quality will you get? You don't see fresh duck, either. Ever. You find duck tucked away in the frozen food section of your neighborhood grocer, practically stuck in cryogenic freeze since the dawn of time; a kind of frozen, plastic-wrapped football with the specific gravity of concrete. What to do with such an item, and how to prepare it?
Well, this recipe of Alton's is the perfect way to prepare duck. Although it has many steps, true to form for any Alton Brown recipe, they are relatively simple steps to execute, with the possible exception of dissecting the bird before you cook it, which is a nice way of saying "butcher the carcass." Yeah, I know. I wasn't too thrilled with learning how to carve up a duck prior to preparing this recipe because it looked difficult and, well, gross.
Now that I've made this recipe three or four times, it's not at all as difficult as I thought, and the treat is worth the effort. Before you can make this recipe, however, you need a pair of strong, sturdy poultry shears. Not scissors, mind you, but strong shears that can cut through the bone of fowl. Buy a reputable brand like Oxo. Click here to see what I'm talking about. While the butchering part is still a step I would rather not have to make, I find it all worth the effort and strangely relaxing. Perhaps I should have been a surgeon.
Ingredients
For the brine
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 quart pineapple orange juice
15 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Ingredients
For everything else
1 5-1/2 to 6 pound frozen Long Island Duck, thawed
2 handfuls shredded chard
2 shallots, minced
Dash sherry or balsamic vinegar
The Recipes
First, thaw the duck:
But how? In the refrigerator? In a warm bath of water? On the kitchen counter? Well, Alton gave a very long dissertation in his show about the physics behind thawing frozen food. Really riveting stuff. Blah, blah, blah. Who cares? I think you can figure this part out. Thawed is thawed. I do what professionals will do in a food service kitchen. Put it in the sink and run cold water over it. Yes, cold water. The easiest and safest thing to do, however, is to put the frozen bird in your refrigerator for 48 hours.
Next, make the brine:
Combine all brine ingredients in a zip-lock bag. Shake to dissolve the salt.
Now, carve the duck:
Remove the pop-up thermometer if there is one, and take out all those parts they put back into the cavity of the duck and discard. Cut off and discard the wings.
Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Find the joint and separate the pieces. Do the same on the opposite side. Cut away any excess skin that may be hanging around. There probably is a completely "right" way to do this, but the truth is, there is no real wrong way to this. You'll figure it out. The net result is to have four pieces of duck left when you're done: two breasts and two leg/thigh hindquarters
Next, marinate the duck pieces:
Place the duck quarters inside the zip-lock bag with the brine. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
Now, steam the duck:
Bring 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set your oven to 475 degrees. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.
Finish the duck:
Remove duck pieces from steamer and place leg hindquarters, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.
Finally, finish the dish:
Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar. Serve the duck with the chard.
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