I had planned to offer up some post-holiday entries. Alas, post-holiday has gone on nearly a month, and much good eating is past, much of that blog-worthy, but time has a way of keeping me from this whole blogging endeavor. Tonight, I had to write at least a little something, with the year already three weeks deep, and this meal was certainly worthwhile. I had planned to offer up something about beef barley soup made with the bones from our Christmas Eve dinner, too. Instead, I simply added a comment to that blog post, so if you are interested in what I did, I copied and pasted my reply to a Facebook request I'd had for that follow up explaining the basics of what I ended up making.
Tonight was an interesting night. Our older daughter was in a bit of a "mood," and frankly was trying our collective patience. Getting into cooking mode was a great escape, and I dug in after we all settled into the warmth of our home after a chilly day, picking everyone up, and a quick trip to the grocery store to get a few things I'd forgotten in the weekend shop. I combined some ground lamb and ground pork with re-hydrated onions (I forgot the onions even on the second trip), salt, pepper, a bit of dill, dried mint, dried cilantro, a really small dash of nutmeg, and a generous addition of za'atar from a wonderful Middle Eastern grocery/bakery nearby in our 'hood. Za'atar is great to have around in general, and I have used it on grilled chicken in the past as well. It makes for a quick grab from the spice rack, and adds a great deal of flavor in a hurry. (Side note: I wrote about using za'atar in a previous post about my attempt at making kefta)
I formed the meat mixture into oblong, flattened meatballs and sauteed them in some olive oil, getting a nice crispy bit of brown on the outside. I made a bit of plain orzo to serve on the side, which was a great introduction to pasta for our little one. She is feeding herself more and more now, and she negotiated getting the orzo into her mouth with greater ease than I'd have imagined possible. I did take a shortcut on one front. We keep some nice pouches of quick lentils-in-sauce on hand that we pick up from Costco from time to time, and with a dollop of yogurt, they are just amazing. As I've noted before, I try hard to get good meals on the table as fast as I can on weeknights, so such shortcuts are necessary, but don't have to come at the expense of taste and nutritional value.
The crowning glory was a quick yogurt-mint sauce. The big plus from the grocery trip was grabbing some fresh mint. I like to keep somewhat bigger pieces of mint when I make this, so a quick chiffonade did the trick, along with a couple of cloves of minced garlic, a splash of lemon juice, salt, and pepper (and of course the yogurt). It always amazes me how simple additions like a nice sauce can transform a meal, and so many yogurt sauces are so easy to make, it's shame I don't make them more often.
The Verdict
I was so glad to dig into this meal. The smell of the kitchen was just intoxicating tonight, and my anticipation had been building all day for this meal (well, all week, really). It did not disappoint! The meat was flavorful and juicy, and the bit of crispy brown had that kind of umami vibe going on; that's the best way I can describe it. The yogurt-mint sauce was as good as I've ever made it, pretty well nailing the proportions. I sometimes go too far with the garlic or lemon juice and have to adjust, rarely getting it this good. I kept the orzo plain, and used it to mix in the sauce from the lentils and the stray yogurt on my plate.
This meal was a complete success, and I can't wait to make it again.
As for the little ones:
Some yogurt sauce dripped into the avocado we were feeding to our younger daughter along with her orzo, and I decided to just go ahead and feed it to her anyway. She liked it so much, I even added a bit more for her, and for the first time in a while, she ended up polishing off an entire half an avocado. I am going to go ahead and guess that it was baby-approved. The real delight was, after our older daughter finished up with her "mood attack," and finally settled in to eat, she ended up eating a really nice portion of the meat (for a change). She had hers sans sauce, and she passed on the lentils, opting instead for her usual side of green peas. The orzo was a universal hit; no surprise in our carb-loving family.
We will have at this meal again tomorrow as leftovers, and I'm thinking about opening up some wine for the adventure. If you'd like to make any suggestions, feel free to comment!
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day...
As implied in my last post, my mind has been flashing memories of my youth at a pretty steady pace lately, with so many friends still contending with the aftermath of Sandy back east. It was not completely by happenstance that I chose Wednesday as the day to use the crock pot to make something of a "Sunday Gravy," obviously not on a Sunday, but because I so warmly remember seeing advertisements for Prince spaghetti all over the airwaves as a young boy in NJ. Granted, the commercial is supposed to be set on the north end of Boston, but somehow the imagery reminds me still, more generically, of nearly any tenement building in a large city in the northeast, and by association, the images remind me of NY, or at least the kind of hazy and faded memory of NY that I hearken back to in the nostalgic part of my brain.
More importantly, the ad reminds me of how, in my neighborhood, calling kids in for dinner was commonplace. At any given moment, you'd hear moms or siblings yelling, "Willy [yeah, I had to endure that nickname], time for supper." Or dinner. Or whatever a family called it. We'd hear it, and the game we were all playing would either realign to adjust for those called away, or would simply dissipate as the critical mass dwindled to the few who hadn't yet been called in. By urban standards, our yards were luxuriously large in the north Jersey suburbs, but really, the block where I spent most of my youth was compact enough that no one was really ever out of earshot of their own home. I suppose there is a part of me that mourns the idea that my daughters might not get to experience the call to dinner that was so familiar to me and to my friends growing up, in part because I doubt we'd ever have that luxury in our densely urban neighborhood, but more so because it seems that we have reached a point where the cell phone, the text message, or some other digital beacon has taken the place of a good set of lungs when rounding up the family these days.
Dinner, tonight, was a joy to cook, and the prep this morning was incredibly simple. I had a bony, cheap cut of beef and a lovely, but small pork tenderloin roast defrosted. Both went into the crock pot along with canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper, and a nice dose of herbs (mostly basil, oregano, and parsley today). I copped out on cutting up an onion, and just added a bit of onion powder today, mostly out of a concern for time (I was too persnickety about getting the garlic cut up to allow me the time to hack at an onion). I let this cook all day, and since it was a rather large batch, decided I'd keep my meatballs completely separate from the process. And for those who care, I did add a tiny dash of sugar, but I was on the fence about it. I know some folks insist that it is essential, and others consider it an abomination. For me, since I'm not Italian by heritage, I have no loyalties, and just cook as the spirit moves me.
Once home from work, I made up the meatballs. I kept them simple - beef only, some breadcrumbs (wish I'd had more on hand, but I made it work), eggs, herbs, and a healthy dose of parmesan cheese added in. I baked the meatballs, and made sure I'd have plenty to freeze along with the sauce for a week or so down the road, and to make sure we'd have enough for leftovers tomorrow as well. I was craving the simplicity of spaghetti (and not some other pasta shape; I think the commercial really got to me, but it was not Prince brand), but ended up mixing in a small bit of linguine I had opened as well.
The Verdict
Writing about spaghetti and meatballs is nor really an earth-shattering idea. Yes, the meal was absolutely delicious. You just can't rush a really good sauce, and so the slow cooker does wonders for a deep, flavorful meat sauce like this. The strands of tender meat that melt in the mouth, bathed in an herb-y tomato base are so comforting, and the somewhat saltier and chewier meatballs on the side such a delightful contrast. I have not had nearly enough wine lately, and was thrilled to find a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino in our stash. It was a great treat with this particular dinner.
So, again tonight, I let my mind drift back to my youth, to the turf of my teens (and younger), to old friends, and to old ways. I recalled a lunch at my friend Phil Mastronardi's house, and how, between his mom and grandmother, I could barely walk away from the meal. I remembered several meals at the homes of friends in the neighborhood, including a fair number at Andrew Lange's house, where his mom made some traditional German meals that I have still yet to find the courage to try to recreate in my own kitchen. I recalled playing kick the can with my buds on 4th Ave in Westwood. I found my mind walking to any number of my old schools on brisk days like today, the smell of leaves as I crunched them underfoot, and the sound of the train whistle bringing parents back from work in "The City." And again, tonight, I wished I could do more than just remember and think good thoughts.
Still, a rich meal like this on a cold, late-autumn evening, with my family around me, makes me realize that, for them, I'm laying the foundation for the memories my daughters will have. They will have comfort in the familiarity of the mundane things we now share, and I hope each of them will get to look back on these memories fondly, in good times and bad. And I hope they will find something that can call them back as easily as the sound of "Anthony... Anthony..."
More importantly, the ad reminds me of how, in my neighborhood, calling kids in for dinner was commonplace. At any given moment, you'd hear moms or siblings yelling, "Willy [yeah, I had to endure that nickname], time for supper." Or dinner. Or whatever a family called it. We'd hear it, and the game we were all playing would either realign to adjust for those called away, or would simply dissipate as the critical mass dwindled to the few who hadn't yet been called in. By urban standards, our yards were luxuriously large in the north Jersey suburbs, but really, the block where I spent most of my youth was compact enough that no one was really ever out of earshot of their own home. I suppose there is a part of me that mourns the idea that my daughters might not get to experience the call to dinner that was so familiar to me and to my friends growing up, in part because I doubt we'd ever have that luxury in our densely urban neighborhood, but more so because it seems that we have reached a point where the cell phone, the text message, or some other digital beacon has taken the place of a good set of lungs when rounding up the family these days.
Dinner, tonight, was a joy to cook, and the prep this morning was incredibly simple. I had a bony, cheap cut of beef and a lovely, but small pork tenderloin roast defrosted. Both went into the crock pot along with canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper, and a nice dose of herbs (mostly basil, oregano, and parsley today). I copped out on cutting up an onion, and just added a bit of onion powder today, mostly out of a concern for time (I was too persnickety about getting the garlic cut up to allow me the time to hack at an onion). I let this cook all day, and since it was a rather large batch, decided I'd keep my meatballs completely separate from the process. And for those who care, I did add a tiny dash of sugar, but I was on the fence about it. I know some folks insist that it is essential, and others consider it an abomination. For me, since I'm not Italian by heritage, I have no loyalties, and just cook as the spirit moves me.
Once home from work, I made up the meatballs. I kept them simple - beef only, some breadcrumbs (wish I'd had more on hand, but I made it work), eggs, herbs, and a healthy dose of parmesan cheese added in. I baked the meatballs, and made sure I'd have plenty to freeze along with the sauce for a week or so down the road, and to make sure we'd have enough for leftovers tomorrow as well. I was craving the simplicity of spaghetti (and not some other pasta shape; I think the commercial really got to me, but it was not Prince brand), but ended up mixing in a small bit of linguine I had opened as well.
The Verdict
 |
| (I really need to take pics on the white or red plates; the yellow does NOT photograph well) |
So, again tonight, I let my mind drift back to my youth, to the turf of my teens (and younger), to old friends, and to old ways. I recalled a lunch at my friend Phil Mastronardi's house, and how, between his mom and grandmother, I could barely walk away from the meal. I remembered several meals at the homes of friends in the neighborhood, including a fair number at Andrew Lange's house, where his mom made some traditional German meals that I have still yet to find the courage to try to recreate in my own kitchen. I recalled playing kick the can with my buds on 4th Ave in Westwood. I found my mind walking to any number of my old schools on brisk days like today, the smell of leaves as I crunched them underfoot, and the sound of the train whistle bringing parents back from work in "The City." And again, tonight, I wished I could do more than just remember and think good thoughts.
Still, a rich meal like this on a cold, late-autumn evening, with my family around me, makes me realize that, for them, I'm laying the foundation for the memories my daughters will have. They will have comfort in the familiarity of the mundane things we now share, and I hope each of them will get to look back on these memories fondly, in good times and bad. And I hope they will find something that can call them back as easily as the sound of "Anthony... Anthony..."
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Wild boar tacos
Yes, it has been another long lapse since my last post. A second daughter in the house consumes the time that I had finally carved out after dinner as our first daughter was becoming increasingly independent. Now that the younger child is about four months old, we are finally beginning to find some routines once again, and tonight's dinner was special enough to write about. I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to get another one of these done any time soon, and frankly, I'm just glad I still get to make dinner most nights. Writing about it is just a bonus, anyway.
My wife picked up an online deal for Artizone recently; not that recently, actually, but recently enough that she passed it my way before it expired. Some of the speciality shops here in Chicago would be regular haunts for us if we lived closer to them, but parking is an ordeal without the kids; with them, it's just a royal pain. Artizone let's us order from several of the shops we like (and some we have yet to try), and have the goods delivered to our home. I have been to Gepperth's Meat Market in the past, and was impressed with their shop. When I found that they had some game meats available via Artizone, well, I was giddy.
The bottom line - having the little ones around makes us appreciate having things delivered.
The wild boar I had them bring had to wait in the fridge for a couple of days before I was able to cook it. We had a few other things on our family agenda this week, but tonight I was finally able to bring it to the table. I knew when I ordered it that I wanted to make some kind of tacos with the meat. I browned the meat with some chopped cilantro, garlic, and green onion in a smattering of olive oil. It was clearly lean meat, and I knew I'd need a bit of extra oil for this to work. Once browned, I added a splash of liquid smoke, followed by a blend of corn starch, chili powder, cayenne, ground cumin, garlic salt, kosher salt, and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, I was out of guajillo chili powder, and I think that may be on my next Artizone order (or my next trip to the spice place in Old Town). To create the sauce, I opted to use Pepsi tonight in place of water. I wanted a bit of sweetness, and the cola seemed like a nice idea.
I chose corn tortillas for my tacos, and my wife opted for whole wheat. We topped things with more of an American spread - lettuce, sour cream, salsa, green onion, cilantro, and cheddar tonight.
The verdict
I was quite pleased with the result. The mild game undertones were present, but with everything else happening in the flavor column, that was a welcome and expected taste. We kept things pretty simple tonight, skipping wine or beer. It was a nice end to the family time after a wonderful weekend together, and a real treat having a few minutes to write about it. We were also glad to spend some time celebrating a milestone birthday with a neighbor last night. Our older daughter really appreciated the chocolate fountain at the shindig (I have NEVER seen her so hyper), and I was pleased to contribute some chicken marsala to the festivities. I wish I had a bit more time to write about it, but I'm sure I'll make that dish again and again. Wild boar isn't the kind of thing I'm likely to make quite as often, but after tonight's meal, I wish it was more readily available (and less expensive). If I ever move back to Florida, I'll have to befriend some boar hunters, I suppose...
My wife picked up an online deal for Artizone recently; not that recently, actually, but recently enough that she passed it my way before it expired. Some of the speciality shops here in Chicago would be regular haunts for us if we lived closer to them, but parking is an ordeal without the kids; with them, it's just a royal pain. Artizone let's us order from several of the shops we like (and some we have yet to try), and have the goods delivered to our home. I have been to Gepperth's Meat Market in the past, and was impressed with their shop. When I found that they had some game meats available via Artizone, well, I was giddy.
The bottom line - having the little ones around makes us appreciate having things delivered.
The wild boar I had them bring had to wait in the fridge for a couple of days before I was able to cook it. We had a few other things on our family agenda this week, but tonight I was finally able to bring it to the table. I knew when I ordered it that I wanted to make some kind of tacos with the meat. I browned the meat with some chopped cilantro, garlic, and green onion in a smattering of olive oil. It was clearly lean meat, and I knew I'd need a bit of extra oil for this to work. Once browned, I added a splash of liquid smoke, followed by a blend of corn starch, chili powder, cayenne, ground cumin, garlic salt, kosher salt, and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, I was out of guajillo chili powder, and I think that may be on my next Artizone order (or my next trip to the spice place in Old Town). To create the sauce, I opted to use Pepsi tonight in place of water. I wanted a bit of sweetness, and the cola seemed like a nice idea.
I chose corn tortillas for my tacos, and my wife opted for whole wheat. We topped things with more of an American spread - lettuce, sour cream, salsa, green onion, cilantro, and cheddar tonight.
The verdict
I was quite pleased with the result. The mild game undertones were present, but with everything else happening in the flavor column, that was a welcome and expected taste. We kept things pretty simple tonight, skipping wine or beer. It was a nice end to the family time after a wonderful weekend together, and a real treat having a few minutes to write about it. We were also glad to spend some time celebrating a milestone birthday with a neighbor last night. Our older daughter really appreciated the chocolate fountain at the shindig (I have NEVER seen her so hyper), and I was pleased to contribute some chicken marsala to the festivities. I wish I had a bit more time to write about it, but I'm sure I'll make that dish again and again. Wild boar isn't the kind of thing I'm likely to make quite as often, but after tonight's meal, I wish it was more readily available (and less expensive). If I ever move back to Florida, I'll have to befriend some boar hunters, I suppose...
Saturday, March 24, 2012
All hail, Caesar!
I had some chicken in the fridge on grocery day, so when I saw the romaine staring at me in the produce section today, I figured dinner was a done deal; Caesar salad with grilled lemon pepper chicken and portabella mushrooms. I also recalled that we had a fair bit of garlic left around, and knowing I would use much of what was at home was a good excuse to buy more (as if I ever need an excuse to buy more garlic). My only concern was the weather. I had to hope that the rain would stay away when grilling time came. It did, thankfully.
I haven't made a Caesar dressing in a while, and unless things are already prepped, it does take a bit of time to come together. That makes it more appropriate for a weekend than a weeknight in our house. But since the chicken breasts were rather thick, I figured I had ample time to work on the dressing anyway. I stuck to the basics; egg yolk, olive oil, garlic (lots of it - we love our garlic in our house), Parmesan cheese, anchovies (I know, some folks consider this inauthentic or unnecessary, but it is one of the places where I feel an anchovy has a culinary home), Worcestershire sauce, etc. I was glad that we had an extra lemon on hand, as fresh lemon juice always beats the bottle in a dressing. I think I was overly generous with the lemon juice in the dressing tonight, but only to the point of making the dressing a bit brighter than I usually care for.
The verdict
There is a certain kind of joy in a simple salad for a meal, and making the dressing from scratch, for me, makes all the difference. We had a bit of garlic bread - nice and crispy - with our salads tonight. The mushrooms were a good addition to the standard presentation. I suppose my thoughts on there being too much lemon might be because I used it on the chicken as well as in the dressing. Maybe a simpler or less citrus-y chicken preparation might do the trick next time.
For some, this would have been a case of garlic overload. For us, it was just right. I appreciated the gesture my wife made, leaning her very pregnant self across the table to share a garlic-y kiss with me in appreciation of the effort.
I haven't made a Caesar dressing in a while, and unless things are already prepped, it does take a bit of time to come together. That makes it more appropriate for a weekend than a weeknight in our house. But since the chicken breasts were rather thick, I figured I had ample time to work on the dressing anyway. I stuck to the basics; egg yolk, olive oil, garlic (lots of it - we love our garlic in our house), Parmesan cheese, anchovies (I know, some folks consider this inauthentic or unnecessary, but it is one of the places where I feel an anchovy has a culinary home), Worcestershire sauce, etc. I was glad that we had an extra lemon on hand, as fresh lemon juice always beats the bottle in a dressing. I think I was overly generous with the lemon juice in the dressing tonight, but only to the point of making the dressing a bit brighter than I usually care for.
The verdict
There is a certain kind of joy in a simple salad for a meal, and making the dressing from scratch, for me, makes all the difference. We had a bit of garlic bread - nice and crispy - with our salads tonight. The mushrooms were a good addition to the standard presentation. I suppose my thoughts on there being too much lemon might be because I used it on the chicken as well as in the dressing. Maybe a simpler or less citrus-y chicken preparation might do the trick next time.
For some, this would have been a case of garlic overload. For us, it was just right. I appreciated the gesture my wife made, leaning her very pregnant self across the table to share a garlic-y kiss with me in appreciation of the effort.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Sliders
Tonight was a pretty simple night for dinner. While shopping last weekend, my wife spotted some slider buns, and we decided at some point during the week that would be our dinner. I was glad to oblige her craving, as it is a rare day that I pass up a chance to eat a burger. I did want to add a bit of zing to the meal, however. Blending shredded cheddar right into the burger is an old trick, and I was glad to use it. But that still left me with a pretty basic burger. I opted to make a quick garlic-heavy mayo to spread on the buns. Simple stuff - egg yolk, oil, etc., but we love our garlic in our house, so I did not hold back one bit. Besides, my arms were stiff, and the workout with the whisk did me some good.
I made a potato salad as well. They were selling modest-sized bags of small red & white potatoes this past week, and I am glad I grabbed some. The salad, too, was pretty basic. I've been using Hellmann's olive oil mayonnaise lately, and simply love it.* A bit of yellow mustard, some chopped up dill pickle, salt and pepper... and our old standby - crumbled bacon. I've mentioned in a previous post that we keep a bag of Costco (Kirkland) brand crumbled, pre-cooked bacon on hand at all times. It really added a nice touch to the salad.
The verdict
Some plain old green beans on the side made this feel more like a summer cookout than a late-winter meal. The potato salad meet my wife's most important criterion for a good side dish - "not too mayo-ey." I loved the bacon in the mix. I don't make potato salad quite the same way every time, and I definitely don't always add the bacon.
The burgers were juicy, perfectly cooked, and I swear, they were doing something unspeakable on the bun with that garlic mayo, because I felt just a bit naughty after I ate this meal, like I was some kind of voyeur to a culinary hook-up. The garlic is still dancing around on my palate, and I look forward to that hint of goodness the rest of the night. My only regret is that I made the darn burgers just a little thicker than I would have cared for. I was counting on more - uh - shrinkage, but the meat was leaner than I'd thought it would be.
The real bonus I sometimes get at dinner time, of course, is when I get my daughter to agree to help me cook. Tonight, she helped make the burgers, and put the potatoes into the pot (before they went onto the stove, of course). We haven't gotten her to eat a burger yet, but we did convince her yesterday that hot dogs were ok, so she did have one of those tonight. At least she was adding to the summer cookout vibe. It's been a challenge getting her to branch out. I convinced her to try a potato, and I think having her "help cook" them may have been key (although bribery helps). Of course, if what I thought helped her overcome her recent fussiness with eating, we would be past that stage already...
* - I might also note that I grew up eating only Hellmann's when I did eat mayo. As a kid, that was rare. There's a story behind why, but that's another day...
I made a potato salad as well. They were selling modest-sized bags of small red & white potatoes this past week, and I am glad I grabbed some. The salad, too, was pretty basic. I've been using Hellmann's olive oil mayonnaise lately, and simply love it.* A bit of yellow mustard, some chopped up dill pickle, salt and pepper... and our old standby - crumbled bacon. I've mentioned in a previous post that we keep a bag of Costco (Kirkland) brand crumbled, pre-cooked bacon on hand at all times. It really added a nice touch to the salad.
The verdict
Some plain old green beans on the side made this feel more like a summer cookout than a late-winter meal. The potato salad meet my wife's most important criterion for a good side dish - "not too mayo-ey." I loved the bacon in the mix. I don't make potato salad quite the same way every time, and I definitely don't always add the bacon.
The burgers were juicy, perfectly cooked, and I swear, they were doing something unspeakable on the bun with that garlic mayo, because I felt just a bit naughty after I ate this meal, like I was some kind of voyeur to a culinary hook-up. The garlic is still dancing around on my palate, and I look forward to that hint of goodness the rest of the night. My only regret is that I made the darn burgers just a little thicker than I would have cared for. I was counting on more - uh - shrinkage, but the meat was leaner than I'd thought it would be.
The real bonus I sometimes get at dinner time, of course, is when I get my daughter to agree to help me cook. Tonight, she helped make the burgers, and put the potatoes into the pot (before they went onto the stove, of course). We haven't gotten her to eat a burger yet, but we did convince her yesterday that hot dogs were ok, so she did have one of those tonight. At least she was adding to the summer cookout vibe. It's been a challenge getting her to branch out. I convinced her to try a potato, and I think having her "help cook" them may have been key (although bribery helps). Of course, if what I thought helped her overcome her recent fussiness with eating, we would be past that stage already...
* - I might also note that I grew up eating only Hellmann's when I did eat mayo. As a kid, that was rare. There's a story behind why, but that's another day...
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Duck
I haven't cooked duck in a while. Entirely too long, in fact. As the holidays faded, the sales began, and our local grocery store cut the price on duck pretty sharply on Christmas Eve, so I picked one up and tossed it in the freezer. It was ridiculously cheap, really.
My past efforts cooking duck have been mixed, and prior to this evening, I'd never had crispy-skin nirvana. I combed the internet, and found a few entries from other folks that suggested a nice low and slow start followed by a blast at the end (I'd done this before) with a generous scoring of the skin (also tried before). I was willing to sacrifice juicy meat for crispy skin this time around, but was pleasantly surprised to have reasonably moist meat with the crispy skin. But the real bonus was the glaze. I did an adaptation that ended up using honey, soy sauce, liquid smoke (yes, I'm a fanatical user of the stuff), hot sauce, and a hint of cinnamon and garlic salt.
The duck cooked for about 4 hours, with frequent flipping to keep the fat draining. I have saved that fat, and am looking forward to making a special potato dish with it in the near future. Once it was nearly done, the final 15 minutes saw the heat upped (first to 425 to get a golden and crispy skin, and then a flash for about 5 minutes under the broiler with the reduced glaze generously applied).
I served this with a wild/brown rice mix sauteed with garlic, olive oil, a hint of salt/pepper, and a fair helping of peas. I should note that I put in over 6 cloves of garlic, and I note this because a friend of mine noted on Facebook recently that she felt this was an excessive quantity of garlic. I did it to prove a point, I suppose, but mostly because the rice needed that much to taste good, plain and simple!
My wife brought home a bottle of NoCo Pinot Noir (thanks to the folks at In Fine Spirits for the recommendation). Nice. Simple. Dinner.
The Verdict
My wife's quote was, I believe, "I have afterglow from this dinner." I agree. The wine was the perfect pairing. The rice was the right texture and great complement for the duck. And the duck - wow. I wish I had another on hand. There is enough around for dinner tomorrow, probably not as good, but who cares! In the dead of winter, a bit of a tad-gamier taste is just the thing to break up the monotony.
My past efforts cooking duck have been mixed, and prior to this evening, I'd never had crispy-skin nirvana. I combed the internet, and found a few entries from other folks that suggested a nice low and slow start followed by a blast at the end (I'd done this before) with a generous scoring of the skin (also tried before). I was willing to sacrifice juicy meat for crispy skin this time around, but was pleasantly surprised to have reasonably moist meat with the crispy skin. But the real bonus was the glaze. I did an adaptation that ended up using honey, soy sauce, liquid smoke (yes, I'm a fanatical user of the stuff), hot sauce, and a hint of cinnamon and garlic salt.
The duck cooked for about 4 hours, with frequent flipping to keep the fat draining. I have saved that fat, and am looking forward to making a special potato dish with it in the near future. Once it was nearly done, the final 15 minutes saw the heat upped (first to 425 to get a golden and crispy skin, and then a flash for about 5 minutes under the broiler with the reduced glaze generously applied).
I served this with a wild/brown rice mix sauteed with garlic, olive oil, a hint of salt/pepper, and a fair helping of peas. I should note that I put in over 6 cloves of garlic, and I note this because a friend of mine noted on Facebook recently that she felt this was an excessive quantity of garlic. I did it to prove a point, I suppose, but mostly because the rice needed that much to taste good, plain and simple!
My wife brought home a bottle of NoCo Pinot Noir (thanks to the folks at In Fine Spirits for the recommendation). Nice. Simple. Dinner.
The Verdict
My wife's quote was, I believe, "I have afterglow from this dinner." I agree. The wine was the perfect pairing. The rice was the right texture and great complement for the duck. And the duck - wow. I wish I had another on hand. There is enough around for dinner tomorrow, probably not as good, but who cares! In the dead of winter, a bit of a tad-gamier taste is just the thing to break up the monotony.
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