Duck Question



S

Steve Pope

Guest
Have a five-pound duck on hand.

One issue with roasting a duck is that if you cook it long
enough that the leg meat is done, then the breast is overdone
(assuming you like rare-ish duck breast).

The solution according to Elizabeth David is to roast it
until the breast is cooked to the desired state, eat the
breast, and then re-roast it to cook the rest of the duck.
But I'd rather cook this rather large bird all at once.

So my plan is to take the duck out of the refrigerator a
couple hours ahead of time, and keep an ice pack pressed
against the breast. That way, the breast will maybe not have
been overcooked when the legs reach temperature.

Does this sound sensible? Has anyone ever tried this?

Steve
 
Steve Pope wrote:

> Have a five-pound duck on hand.
>
> One issue with roasting a duck is that if you cook it long
> enough that the leg meat is done, then the breast is overdone
> (assuming you like rare-ish duck breast).
>
> The solution according to Elizabeth David is to roast it
> until the breast is cooked to the desired state, eat the
> breast, and then re-roast it to cook the rest of the duck.
> But I'd rather cook this rather large bird all at once.
>
> So my plan is to take the duck out of the refrigerator a
> couple hours ahead of time, and keep an ice pack pressed
> against the breast. That way, the breast will maybe not have
> been overcooked when the legs reach temperature.
>
> Does this sound sensible? Has anyone ever tried this?
>
> Steve

It sounds reasonable but who knows - consider covering the breast with
foil for part of the cooking.

Peter
 
On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 19:11:10 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:

>Have a five-pound duck on hand.
>
>One issue with roasting a duck is that if you cook it long
>enough that the leg meat is done, then the breast is overdone
>(assuming you like rare-ish duck breast).
>
>The solution according to Elizabeth David is to roast it
>until the breast is cooked to the desired state, eat the
>breast, and then re-roast it to cook the rest of the duck.
>But I'd rather cook this rather large bird all at once.
>
>So my plan is to take the duck out of the refrigerator a
>couple hours ahead of time, and keep an ice pack pressed
>against the breast. That way, the breast will maybe not have
>been overcooked when the legs reach temperature.
>
>Does this sound sensible? Has anyone ever tried this?

If I do a whole duck (or chicken) in the oven, I cook it breast
down so the breast gets basted with all the juices from the "top"
of the duck (or chicken). Doesn't look as nice, but it works
better.

I don't think chilling the breasts will slow down cooking all that
much.

-sw
 
Steve Wertz <[email protected]> wrote:

>>So my plan is to take the duck out of the refrigerator a
>>couple hours ahead of time, and keep an ice pack pressed
>>against the breast. That way, the breast will maybe not have
>>been overcooked when the legs reach temperature.

>>Does this sound sensible? Has anyone ever tried this?

>If I do a whole duck (or chicken) in the oven, I cook it breast
>down so the breast gets basted with all the juices from the "top"
>of the duck (or chicken). Doesn't look as nice, but it works
>better.

E. David says to cook it first laying on one side, then the
other side.

>I don't think chilling the breasts will slow down cooking all that
>much.

I'll let y'all know how it turns out. My logic is that
if the breast is say 20 degrees colder than the legs
when it goes into the oven, then it'll be 20 degrees less
warm when it comes out. I will attempt to verify this
using meat thermometers.

Steve
 
Steve Pope wrote:
> Have a five-pound duck on hand.
>
> One issue with roasting a duck is that if you cook it long
> enough that the leg meat is done, then the breast is overdone
> (assuming you like rare-ish duck breast).
>
> The solution according to Elizabeth David is to roast it
> until the breast is cooked to the desired state, eat the
> breast, and then re-roast it to cook the rest of the duck.
> But I'd rather cook this rather large bird all at once.
>
> So my plan is to take the duck out of the refrigerator a
> couple hours ahead of time, and keep an ice pack pressed
> against the breast. That way, the breast will maybe not have
> been overcooked when the legs reach temperature.
>
> Does this sound sensible? Has anyone ever tried this?

If you halve the duck longitudinally the entire half will roast
evenly... that's how Lung Guyland restaurants do duckling le orange.
 
Sheldon <[email protected]> wrote:

>If you halve the duck longitudinally the entire half will roast
>evenly... that's how Lung Guyland restaurants do duckling le orange.

Thanks.

(I'm not trying to roast it evenly though ;) )

Steve
 
On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 14:07:06 -0600, Steve Wertz
<[email protected]> wrote:


>
>I don't think chilling the breasts will slow down cooking all that
>much.
>

It might not, but it has given me a great idea for next July.

Boron
 
Steve Pope wrote:

> Sheldon <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>If you halve the duck longitudinally the entire half will roast
>>evenly... that's how Lung Guyland restaurants do duckling le orange.
>
>
> Thanks.
>
> (I'm not trying to roast it evenly though ;) )
>
> Steve

Try spatchcocking it. It think that's the word - cut it down the back
and spread out flat, tucking the legs under. THis way the legs are
outside and the breasts are inside, and the latter will cook slower. I
used this technique - from Julia and Jacques - on a turkey and it worked
beautifully.

Peter
 
On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 21:07:54 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:

>Steve Wertz <[email protected]> wrote:

>>If I do a whole duck (or chicken) in the oven, I cook it breast
>>down so the breast gets basted with all the juices from the "top"
>>of the duck (or chicken). Doesn't look as nice, but it works
>>better.
>
>E. David says to cook it first laying on one side, then the
>other side.

Maybe you could teach it to roll over. Course you'll have to get
a duck with it head still on.

-sw
 
Boron wrote:

>> I don't think chilling the breasts will slow down cooking all that
>> much.
>
> It might not, but it has given me a great idea for next July.

You'll be chilling your breasts to keep from cooking in the summer sunlight?

Bob
 
The outcome:

No, despite the breast being really chilled upon entering
the oven, and the legs being room temperature, there
was no temperature difference by the time the duck was cooked.
(We had run over and grabbed a second meat thermometer from
a neighbor.)

However, further research has revealed a published technique
involving puttting icewater onto the duck breast at intervals
during roasting. Maybe that would work. Next time.

Steve
 
On 25 Dec 2005 19:22:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
<virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote:

>Boron wrote:
>
>>> I don't think chilling the breasts will slow down cooking all that
>>> much.
>>
>> It might not, but it has given me a great idea for next July.
>
>You'll be chilling your breasts to keep from cooking in the summer sunlight?
>
>Bob
>

Cheaper than air conditioning.

Boron
 
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