Duck
Denise Landis is the founder & CEO of The Cook's Cook.
If you’re going to cook duck, it’s worth going out of your way to find nice fresh fat ones. If you live in a rural area, see what’s available at local poultry farms or in farmers’ markets. City farmers’ markets and meat markets are also likely to have fresh duck, and you might even strike it lucky at your local supermarket. 
First published April 2014
Roast Duck with Molasses and Black Peppercorn Sauce
- Servings Serves 4
Ingredients
- Two 4-pound ducks
- 237ml (1 cup) red wine vinegar
- 59ml (¼ cup) Tupelo or other honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, peeled and minced
- 473ml (2 cups) veal stock or chicken broth
- 59ml (¼ cup) blackstrap molasses
- 1½ tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 113 grams/4 ounces/1 stick well-chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 177° C/350° F. Set ducks on a rack in a large roasting pan. Blend vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Brush mixture over ducks, season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast breast side up for 25 minutes.
2. Turn ducks over and cook until golden brown and crisp, about another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in stock, molasses, peppercorns and vanilla bean. Reduce, stirring, to about 1⅓ cups, about 15 minutes. Remove vanilla bean, season with salt. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time. Keep warm.
3. Cut breast meat off ducks and slice in ½ inch thick pieces, then fan out on serving plates. Arrange leg and thigh portions alongside. Spoon the sauce over. This is excellent served with sweet potatoes that have been roasted or cut into sticks and deep-fried.
Another way to serve this is to remove the duck meat and shred it by hand, then dress it with the sauce and serve it as a warm appetizer in a mound on a plate with salad greens, or in small mounds on endive leaves or slices of toast.
Braised Duck with Olives and Vermouth
Duck and bacon fat are a stellar combination. Add browned vegetables, aromatics and vermouth, and a long slow cooking time for everything to sweeten and meld. The unctuous flavors and textures are thrown into relief by the addition of multi-colored, mild-flavored olives, and the result is heaven on a plate.
- Servings Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups mixed green, black and red olives
- One 2.72 to 3 kg (6 to 7 pound) duck, rinsed and dried
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 227 grams (8 ounces) sliced smoked bacon
- 6 whole shallots, peeled
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- 473ml (2 cups) chicken stock or broth
- 1 fresh tomato, peeled and diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 237ml (1 cup) white vermouth
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 204° C/400° F. Place the olives in a bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside to soak. Season the duck with salt and pepper inside and out. Place an oval casserole dish (slightly larger than the duck) over medium heat, and add the bacon. Fry the bacon until crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain, and reserve.
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the duck to the pan breast-side down. Allow it to sear, moving it in the pan a bit to prevent sticking. When the breast is well-browned, turn it over to brown the other side. Brown each side of the duck as well, propping it against the side of the casserole dish. Transfer the duck to a platter or baking sheet.
3. Add the shallots and carrots, and sauté until browned on the surface, but still crisp. Transfer to the platter with the duck. Drain the fat from the pan and return the pan to high heat. Add the chicken broth and boil until reduced by half. Return the duck, shallots, and carrots to the pan, and add the bacon and tomato. Tie the bay leaves and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth, and add to the pot. Pour in the vermouth, cover, and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Drain the olives, and add to the casserole. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
4. To serve, remove pot from oven and discard the bay leaves and thyme. Transfer the duck to a cutting board. Carve the duck, slicing the meat from the legs, thighs and breasts, and arranging it on a platter. Top the duck with the vegetables and olives from the casserole, and spoon over a generous quantity of sauce. Serve immediately.
Denise Landis
Denise Landis had been employed as an archeologist for seven years before a food editor hired her to test some recipes from a cookbook manuscript. This short stint led to longer assignments, and two years later she began testing recipes for the New York Times. She has been a professional recipe tester and editor for over 25 years, is the author of a New York Times cookbook, and has written for numerous publications. She is a member of the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.
Read more from Denise Landis
