Two-Way Duck with Pecan-Orange Wild Rice and Sautéed Spinach

Roast duck is a popular dish at my house, but a single duck is really just enough for two people. When I want to serve duck to friends, fitting two birds into my oven just doesn’t work. I devised this solution, based on the way that many restaurants serve their duck: Cut the duck into parts, then cook each one so they are at their best. Roast the leg quarters until crisp, cook the boneless duck breast in a skillet until mediumrare, turn the bony carcass and giblets into a luscious classic demi-glace sauce, and render the excess skin and fat. Each one of these steps is very easy, so please do not be intimidated by the long recipe. I’ve also included suggested side dishes here, because they serve only four people, and the other recipes in the book are for larger groups.

• Like goose, duck gives off a lot of fat. In France, where the word cholesterol is rarely uttered, rendered duck and goose fat are prized cooking ingredients. To play along with the American phobia for animal fats, you could certainly substitute butter or vegetable oil for the rendered fat in these recipes, but try the rendered fat, thinking of it as a special treat.

• Pecan-Orange Wild Rice is the perfect side dish to duck. Wild rice varies greatly from brand to brand and it is hard to gauge its cooking time and rate of liquid absorption. Hand-harvested wild rice is expensive, but it has an excellent, robust flavor and firm texture. It takes somewhat longer to cook than the less expensive, machine-harvested variety. If you have excess liquid in the pot when the rice is tender, simply drain it off. On the other hand, if the rice absorbs the liquid before it is done, add more stock (or water) as needed. Because of these variables, it may be best to make the rice ahead of serving and reheat it in a skillet or the microwave.

Makes 4 servings

Make Ahead: You can cut up the ducks, make the stock and sauce, and render the fat the day before serving. The duck quarters can be steamed up to 1½ hours before roasting.

Ingredients:
• Two 5½- to 6-pound Long Island (Peking) ducks
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 quarts Homemade Duck Stock (page 46), made with reserved wings, giblets, necks, and carcass bones
• Pecan-Orange Wild Rice (recipe follows)
• Sautéed Spinach (recipe follows)

Preparation:
1. Prepare the ducks and stock the day before serving. Using a large, heavy knife, cut off the wings and reserve. Reserve the giblets (but not the livers, which you can save for another use or discard). Chop the necks and wings into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Set the wings, giblets, and necks aside for the stock. Pull out the clumps of fat inside the duck body cavity on either side of the tail, cover, and refrigerate.

2. Using a sharp, thin knife, cut off the leg quarters (thigh and drumstick together) at the thigh joints. Trim off excess skin from the perimeters of the duck pieces and reserve the skin pieces.

3. Make an incision down each side of the breastbone. With the knife tip pointing toward the rib bones, cut away the breast meat (with the skin still attached), pulling the meat away from the ribs as you cut. Cut off the breast section at the wing joint and the bottom of the rib cage. Pull the skin off the duck breasts and reserve. You will have 4 boneless breasts and 4 leg quarters. Season the duck with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

4. To make the stock, using a heavy cleaver, chop the duck carcasses into manageable pieces to fit your stockpot, and use with the neck, wings, and giblets to make the duck stock.

5. To render the duck fat, cut the reserved skin into thin strips and coarsely chop the reserved fat from the body cavity. Render according to the instructions in Roast Goose with Port Wine Gravy (page 58).

6. To make the sauce, place the duck stock in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the stock is reduced to about 1 quart, 1 to 1½ hours. Transfer to a medium saucepan and boil until dark brown and thick enough to coat a wooden spoon (about 11 ⁄2 cups), about 30 minutes. (The sauce can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.)

7. Fit a large pot with a collapsible aluminum steamer rack and fill the pot with enough water to almost reach the rack. Add the duck leg quarters and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam the duck leg quarters for 45 minutes. Remove the duck from the pot and transfer to a roasting pan. (The duck quarters can be prepared up to this point 1½ hours before roasting; set aside at room temperature.)

8. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Roast the steamed duck, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while the duck legs are roasting.

9. About 15 minutes before serving, heat 2 tablespoons of the rendered duck fat in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the duck breasts and cook, turning once, until lightly browned and medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes. (You can use a small, sharp knife to make an incision in the thickest part of the breast to check for doneness. Or press the duck with your finger—it should feel somewhat soft in the center. The firmer the meat feels, the more well-done it is.) Transfer the duck to a carving board and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Let stand for about 3 minutes for the juices to settle.

10. To serve, using a sharp carving knife, slice each breast into thin diagonal slices. Slip the knife under each breast and transfer to a dinner plate, fanning out the slices slightly. (If you wish, serve a whole breast, unsliced, on each plate.) Place a duck quarter on each plate. Divide the wild rice and spinach among the plates. Spoon some of the duck sauce around the duck, and serve immediately.

Pecan-Orange Wild Rice: In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons rendered duck fat over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup (6 ounces) rinsed and drained wild rice. Add 2 and 2⁄3 cups Homemade Duck Stock (page 46) or canned reducedsodium chicken broth, 1⁄3 cup fresh orange juice, the grated zest of 1⁄2 large orange, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover tightly. Cook until the rice is tender and puffed, about 1 hour. Be flexible with the cooking time, as it will vary with the type of rice. Stir in 1⁄2 cup finely chopped pecans. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess liquid from the wild rice before serving hot. (The rice can be made up to 2 hours ahead. If necessary, reheat in a covered large skillet over low heat, stirring often. Or place in a covered, microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on Medium-High or 70 percent power, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.)

Sautéed Spinach: Fill a sink or very large bowl with cold water. Wash 2 pounds fresh spinach, tough stems removed. Shake the spinach to remove excess water, but do not dry completely. (The spinach can be cleaned up to 2 hours before cooking, stored at room temperature.) In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 small finely chopped garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. In batches, stir in the spinach, waiting for the first batch to wilt before adding another. Cook until the spinach is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1 ⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. (The spinach can be made up to 1 hour ahead. Reheat over low heat, stirring often.) Serve hot, using a slotted spoon to leave excess liquid in the pot.

This recipe was published in 'Christmas 101, Celebrate the Holiday Season from Christmas to New Year’s (Rick Rodgers) - p55 to p57'.