Happy Anniversary: The Whole Darn Duck

There is an embarrassing story in my tales of cooking past. Many years ago, when I was NOT yet much of a cook, my avid game-hunting father gave me a duck. Unwisely, I decided to prepare the duck on an evening when I had arrived home from the office harried, exhausted, and unfocused. Duck a l'Orange, I declared would be the entree, and set about, in a rather haphazard fashion, roasting my bird. I was asked what recipe I would be using and I indicated I had no need for such a thing...duck a l'orange was easy, and I could just freewheel it. I roasted that poor bird for what must have been an eternity in a searingly hot oven while I changed out of my work clothes, caught up on paperwork, weeded the garden, returned calls, and god knows what else. What I put on the plate could not be sawed in two by my sharpest steak knife, and the schmear of an orange sauce that was little more than a doctored-up marmalade, was just a sad topper for the dessicated shoe leather I deigned to call dinner. Starving, I ordered a pizza at 10 p.m.

I've improved my duck-cooking skills in subsequent years, but I usually just sear some duck breasts and sauce them in a citrus demi-glace. There's nothing wrong with that, but this week I bought a WHOLE duck and I was bound and determined to use a whole duck. Furthermore, I did not want any sad failures like my duck a l'orange of days gone by because this duck was a special duck...this was an anniversary duck.

I may not necessarily be a high-maintenance girl, but I know I am not the easiest person to live with. Mi esposo therefore deserves to eat especially well on the day commemorating the fact he has reached a landmark date in continuing to put up with me. So the duck had to be good.

But there I was, all distracted like the days of yore. I was installing software, doing laundry, testing a pie crust recipe, and doing 15 other things that had nothing to do with my duck when I started my duck. And I hadn't even decided if I wanted to roast the whole bird or break it down and cook different cuts in different ways. OH! ...and that Strawberry Sauce recipe...would that be good with duck??? Should we have that pie for dessert? When were the dogs last outside?

Needless to say, I was a little unfocused. Finally, (on whim, really) I decided to break down the duck. Which required I REALLY sharpen my boning knife...another task to make me lose focus. Then I wanted to refer to something I saw on the internet about duck, but damn! The software was still installing, so I had to freewheel it again without a recipe. And, OH GOD! That pie crust has to come out of the oven NOW!

My mind was going in too many different directions. I was well aware of the potentially disastrous dinner I was setting myself up for. At worst, mi esposo was going to lose confidence in my cooking skills. At best, he was going to tease me mercilessly.

That was all I needed to pull it together. I took it step by step. I got the pie out of the oven. I asked mi esposo to keep an eye on the software installation for me. I rendered all the fat from the skin and saved it for some sunny day when I need duck fat. I made duck chitterlings with the fatty skin for the dogs. I cleaned the breasts. I put the legs and wings to braise in a pan with duck fat, white wine, lemon juice, sea salt, and whole cloves of garlic. I saved the neck and bones for soup. I cooked the liver and etc., pureed them with shallot, brandy, and cream and put them in a bain marie to become pate, and finally, I dusted the breasts to prepare them for saute. I even put together that strawberry sauce to try with the duck.

Well, I felt more competent on this latest duck-cooking exposition...I mean, the only thing I had thrown away was the wrapping paper. But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Would my anniversary duck make the grade??

I am happy to say that after all that, mi esposo cleaned his plate. The duck was lean and lovely and the braised bits were especially good...literally falling off the bone.

Honestly, I'm feeling pretty grateful right about now. Not only did I narrowly avert a repeat performance of the inedible duck I am capable of doing, but I actually used that whole darn duck like a competent cook with a deep respect for the game that sustains me...AND I think I gave someone a pretty nice anniversary dinner. He just might continue to put up with me!