crispy duck

when i heard that the secret ingredient for the iron chef challenge over at a latte with ott, a i freaked 

*a little* 

while i love crispy duck previously it only made its way into my kitchen already cooked

procured from one of those places downtown

with ducks and pork belly

hanging in the window

so delicious


the first time i remember having crispy duck
was at a very fancy chinese restaurant
in the heart of kensington, london
in the late 90's
they served
shark fin soup
and 
other delicacies
i am almost positive
it was the most expensive restaurant
ever
i was a guest
of a wealthy business man and his wife
who thankfully,
were adverse to shark fin
but loved crispy duck
and 
garlic noodles
they had ordered the duck when making the dinner reservation
several days prior
great fuss had been made
i must admit
it was impressive
and worth the king's ransom
it demanded

because i hardly

back away from a challenge
and particularly a food one

i purchased a duck

from the butcher

and 

made

crispy duck

duck broth
and
with the leftovers
whipped up
duck fried rice
(recipe coming soon)

Crispy Duck
(printable recipe)
*this is a 2 day affair...so plan accordingly
1 whole duck--cleaned and dried
finely grated zest from 1 orange
2 tsp chinese 5 spice
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 recipe duck broth
1 recipe glazing sauce
hoisin sauce--to serve
finely sliced green onions--to serve
cucumber cut into strips--to serve
chinese pancakes--to serve
remove the neck and any other parts from the cavity of the duck.  wash and dry the bird.  remove the back bone and snap the breast bone and flatten the duck.
like so

throw the back in the freezer--it is great for stock
mix the orange zest, five spice, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. rub over the entire duck.  place the duck in the refrigerator and let sit 8 hours or overnight.  on day of duck preparation, remove the duck from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.  Steam duck for 25 minutes using duck broth in place of water. I use a bamboo steamer over a wok, but you can use whatever steaming mechanism you have.

Let the duck sit in the steamer for 5 minutes after removing it from the heat.  Lift it from the steamer and place on a roasting rack..in a roasting pan.  Let it fully dry---I place a small fan in front of it for about 2 hours.  once dry, brush liberally with the glazing sauce--fully saturating the duck.  Again, let sit at least an hour..to dry the skin again.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450. Place the duck in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and cook for about another 40 minutes.  Do not continue to baste, as it will reduce the crispiness of the skin.
Duck Broth
1/2 carrot--chopped
1/2 celery--chopped
1" knob fresh ginger--roughly chopped
1 shallot--chopped
1 rasher bacon--chopped
olive oil
duck neck (if your duck doesn't come with it, use the back)
1/2 oz calvados
3 cups chicken stock
heat a stock pot over medium heat.  add about 1 TBS of olive oil and bacon.  cook until the bacon begins to throw off some fat, then toss in the carrot, celery, ginger, and shallot.  cook for about 3 minutes, then toss in the duck neck.  cook for 5-6 minutes more then pour in the calvados and let it absorb.  add the chicken broth and let simmer for about 2 hours.  strain all solids, tossing everything except the duck neck.  return the duck neck to the broth and cool until needed. if refrigerating overnight, skim off the solid fat and discard before using.
Glazing Sauce
juice of 1 orange
3 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
heat all ingredients together just until the honey melts enough to incorporate into the rest of the liquid


i am linking this up to
tuesday night supper club
hearth and soul blog hop 
and
iron chef challenge