after a bit of thinking about what might brighten an otherwise dreary february — i settled on duck breast with candied orange peels and a roasted mushroom risotto (and a de(re?)constructed caesar salad on the side…).

this is a pretty simple meal… with a few simple underlying techniques.


my overall plan was to get home from work and start a stock for the risotto. in a 3qt saucepan, i tossed a quartered onion, handful of celery tops/leaves, handful of baby carrots and 2 large cloves of garlic (smashed) into a bit of duck fat (you don’t have duck fat??? shame.).  Salt and pepper to taste and allow the vegetables to sweat (but not carmelize).  Add 2.5 qts of water, a tsp thyme and tossed in four uncooked, frozen chicken wings that i had saved from another venture… skim periodically.
while i was thinking about it, i grabbed 4 small portabella mushrooms, brushed them off, tossed them with some olive oil, salt and pepper — then threw them into the oven on a bit of aluminum foil at 400F.  while i was at it, i grabbed an orange out of the fridge, and placed several slices of orange peel into a small cereal bowl — and covered them with granulated sugar.

within an hour, the house smelled great — and i was ready to start my risotto.
(don’t forget to take the now-roasted mushrooms out of the oven.)

risotto is a pretty easy technique.  saute 1/2 cup finely diced onion and a clove of garlic (if you had shallots — i’d say to use them.  we didn’t have any… hence, my onion/garlic compromise…) in more duck fat.  add a bit of salt and white pepper.  (aside:  the foodtv network is wrong.  pork fat does not rule — DUCK FAT RULES!!)  add 1/2 lb of short grain, arborio rice and gently mix until the rice is coated in the fat mixture.  as the rice heats, add a few ladles of the hot stock and stir.  keep the heat on med-low and keep stirring; adding stock as necessary.  it takes about 20-30 minutes to get the rice tender and creamy.  at the end, i add approx 1/4 cup of half-and-half and 1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese.  dice the roasted mushrooms, add to rice and take the pot off of the heat and cover.

next up are the duck breasts.  i am lucky enough to do some work for a company that produces some of the most beautiful (and tasty) ducks you have ever seen.  i had a few boneless duck breasts, and prepped them by trimming, seasoning and scoring the skin with a 1/2″ diamond pattern.  15 min before you’re ready to eat — place the duck breasts onto a just warm non-stick pan skin-side down and turn the heat to med to med-high.  by using this technique the duck skin will render its fat and become crispy  without burning within 10 min.  turn the breasts, and move them to the side of the pan.  spoon off all but 1 tbsp of the duck fat, add the juice from the orange and bring to a boil.  add 2 tbsp of orange marmalade and stir… allow the liquid to reduce and thicken with 1 tbsp butter.

assemble your plates with a nice scoop of risotto, slice the duck breasts on a bias and lay on the risotto.  spoon the orange flavored sauce over the duck breast. garnish with the candied orange peels.

serve the salad on the side;  just a quick vinaigrette made with a bit of orange juice and rind over some romaine lettuce.  top with a bit of  thick bacon (leftover from breakfast) and some shavings of parmesan cheese.  tasty.

i really should take some pictures of these plates….

i thought this would be a million $$$ idea, and was getting ready to call starbucks … until this.

12 yrs too late. damn you google.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP!!!!!

here’s the deal:
once upon a time, a longlonglongtime ago, in a land ohsofaraway, the people had leftover cured meats in the winter and the only thing growing outside was dark green, leafy plants. the meat was too tough and the greens too bitter. in a fit of inspiration, both were soaked in boiling water — adding whatever else was lying around — and, velò, a perfect marriage (or, maritata). there’s also probably a little play on words from the italian word for soup, minestra — i’ll let you figure it out.

since this was italy… once in the states, the name was bastardized into ‘italian wedding soup’. duh.

no italian weddings at all. but, great soup!!
read on:

here are two of my favorites, and not a crappy little meatball between them!!!
one more note: i ALWAYS use more crushed red pepper than the recipes call for…..
so it goes.

Sausage And Escarole Soup
Yield: 8 Servings

2 Pounds Italian Sausage, Cut Into ½” Pieces

2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoon Garlic, Sliced
5 Cups Water
1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
4 Cup Escarole
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Fry the sausage with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water (yes, H2O — trust me) until nicely browned and mostly cooked. Add garlic and red pepper, sauteing briefly. Drain fat and set aside.

Bring water to a boil on the stove and add salt and peppers to the water. Meanwhile, rinse escarole thoroughly, and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. While stirring, add escarole to the water and simmer for 10 minutes (not too long or the escarole will get mushy — more on this later). Add the escarole to the pan that has the drained sausage, adding sufficient water to make it as ‘soupy’ as you want — I like the consistency of a thick soup. If possible, use chicken stock instead of water, it’s much tastier. Cook for 5 minutes, adjust seasoning and serve.

Having said that, my father (and grandfather before him) LOVES this soup with an added can of cannellini beans (i.e., great northern beans), and served the next day — when everything is REALLY mushy (Editorial note: Yuck!).
To each his/her own.

Per Serving (without beans): 403 Cal (80% from Fat, 17% from Protein, 3% from Carb); 17 g Protein; 36 g Tot Fat; 13 g Sat Fat; 16 g Mono Fat; 3 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 46 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 2608 mg Sodium; 86 mg Cholesterol; AccuPoints = 11.0

Stracciatella
Yield: 8 Servings

1 Pounds Chicken Breast, Cooked/Sliced 7 Cup Chicken Stock

6 Egg, Beaten
1/2 Cup Ditalini
1/4 Cup Parmesan, Grated
2 Cup Fresh Spinach, Chopped
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Onion, Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
2 Tablespoon Garlic, Minced

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic, onion and red pepper until translucent. If your chicken breast is uncooked, or there is no meat left over from making the chicken stock, then you can slice the chicken breast into thin strips and saute the meat in the onion mixture at this time.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil adding the dilatini (feel free to use your own favorite pasta shape!). When the pasta is nearly cooked, beat the eggs and parmesan cheese in a small bowl. While stirring the boiling soup in a circular fashion, drizzle the egg mixture into the soup. This will turn the eggs into broad ‘shreds’ or ‘rags’ (the English translation of ‘stracciatella’) and adjust seasoning. At this point, add the chopped spinach (you can substitute escarole or even frozen spinach), until heated through.

Serve with extra cheese on the side.
[as a possible variation for this dish, prior to adding the pasta, you can also add a 28 ounce can of chopped tomatoes.]

Per Serving: 277 Cal (43% from Fat, 43% from Protein, 13% from Carb); 29 g Protein; 13 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 6 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 95 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 897 mg Sodium; 209 mg Cholesterol; AccuPoints = 6.5

enter the plight of the bluefin tuna; and the ever-so-burdensome effort to replace it with, gasp, yellowfin tuna.

Ready for Life Without Bluefin Tuna? – The Lede – Breaking News – New York Times Blog

Martin Fackler of The New York Times reported that the Japanese are using more yellowfin, are beginning to try the previously unspeakable avocado roll from the United States, and most notoriously, are tasting “sushi” made with smoked deer and raw horse. That last one may sound like a scary, even gross, proposition. But David Pasternack, a chef who serves plenty of raw fish at Esca in New York, said it’s nothing like what you’re picturing. “The horse in Japan is raised Kobe-style,” he told Serious Eats. “It’s incredibly delicious, sweet and tender.”

who knew horses would be in such demand?!
me? i’ll stick with the smoked duck.

[crossposted at Poultry Management]

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smoking (either hot [90-160F] or cold [60-90F]…  is a horse of a different color … i’ll try to get some smoking recipes up in the fall)

this oil&vinegar bbq sauce is meant for chicken (usually done in a charcoal pit — see the picture) and is only slightly modified from my days as a grad student (assigned to help bbq chicken at the Virginia State Fair back in 1978).

VA chicken bbq sauce

• 1 gallon (yes, a gallon!) apple cider vinegar
• 1 gallon (yes, again.. ) vegetable oil
• 4 oz poultry seasoning (use the good stuff — with lots of sage)
• 2 oz salt
• 2 oz black pepper (more will make the chicken spicier)
• 2 oz garlic powder
• 1 oz crushed red pepper
• 1/2 oz oregano

mix in a bucket;  apply liberally after the chicken begins to brown (preferably using a toilet brush — there is considerable debate surrounding the issue of this item).  i find that this recipe works well on a gas grill if you cut the vegetable oil back to 1/3 gallon — which avoids a lot of flareups).
notably, towards the end of the cooking process, usually during the last 2-3 turns of the chicken — add a small bottle of texas pete (or your favorite hot sauce) to the bucket.  it adds a nice flavor; but, be warned, if you add it too early in the cooking process; the hot sauce will burn off — leaving a bitter aftertaste… ).

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i just re-read the last HP book and want to throw in my $0.02 regarding the ending of the soontobereleasedsuperspecialseventhandfinal(noreallyitisover)volume from ms.rowling.

most folks think that harry, himself, is the final horcrux — or, piece of voldemort’s soul. that seems most likely to me as well. but, rather than being killed or sacrificing himself to destroy voldy; harry will lose his powers and become a REAL boy.

that would be much nicer than killing the poor bloke, AND make sure that he doesn’t have any further adventures.

as a kid, a local fisherman — Mr. Grey, taught us how to clean the blowfish (and also tried to get us to make blowfish-head soup). needless to say, we used to catch them all the time — but, over the last 10 years, rarely, if ever.

unrelated to the japanese blowfish and definitely NOT poisonous, Sphoeroides maculatus is located up and down the northern atlantic coast, and sometimes known as the northern puffer (or the blow toad!).

they are quite delicious, the big joke (of course) is that they ‘taste like chicken’! around barnegat bay, they are even referred to as ‘chicken-of-the-sea’. the largest one caught in NJ is recorded at 1lb 14oz in the Delaware Bay — i wish i could have seen it inflated!

we like them best breaded with a good quality italian-seasoned bread crumb mixture and fried in a few tablespoons of butter and olive oil. serve with a wedge of lemon.
mmmmmm

red or white, is the usual question — though i completely disregard the entire ‘mustard’ issue… i will NOT use mustard in my bbq. if you like it .. check out south.carolina!

naturally, i have my own opinion in this matter…. we’ll start with the best of the reds …

This is an old (and barely modified) recipe from my days at Va.Tech. We used it pretty liberally for pork bbq, whole-pig roasts, and grilling anything.

Va.Tech Pork BBQ Sauce

• 1 quart apple cider vinegar
• 1 box brown sugar
• 1 – 10 oz bottle catsup
• 2 tbsp black pepper (fresh ground)
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 small bottle hot sauce (Texas Pete is traditional; but the Chipotle Tabasco is quite nice!)

mix all the ingredients in a bucket. thanks to all the vinegar, you can store it in an empty vinegar bottle in the fridge. like all red bbq sauces, it should only be used at the END of the grilling process (so the sauce doesn’t burn). but, this can be used as a ‘mop‘ for the real thing.

this next recipe comes from an old NYTimes clipping (in a column by Craig.Claireborn and Pierre.Franey), entitled (i think) Lillian Duncan’s Superior BBQ Sauce. I’ve never seen the reference since… but, here is our modified version. it’s just…

Superior BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup coffee (espresso is best!)
• 1 cup Worcestershire sauce (go ahead, use Lea&Perrins — it’s gluten free!)
• 1 cup catsup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 med onion (chopped)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tbsp ground black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• get a non-reactive saucepan… saute the onion and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. as the onions begin to wilt, add the spices — and continue to saute for a few minutes. add the liquids. squeeze the juice of the lemon into the saucepan, then quarter the half-lemon and toss into the pan. add the sugars and chocolate and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
  taste the sauce and add more brown sugar or vinegar to taste.
  the longer you let it sit, the more flavor develops.
  verrry tasty.

my modifications included;

• the use of fresh cilantro instead of basil,
• we had 1/2 a cucumber in the crisper… so i peeled, cored and sliced the cuke into linquini-like slices
  (ok… i admit to having a MingTsai Ceramic Knife….)
• i also added a tsp of crushed red pepper (no fresh jalapeno’s from the garden in april in central.PA),
• 1 large clove garlic, finely minced (with the same knife!)
• 1 tbsp. minced red onion (left over from the other night… )
• salt, white pepper
• oh yeah…. use about 1 tsp toasted sesame oil… or, if you’re like me; liberally sprinkle the following hot red oil!!!

Red Hot Oil

• 1 cup peanut or canola oil (your choice)
• 4 heaping tablespoons crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

heat the oil til just smoking (about 375F) and remove from heat.  Add all peppers.  the longer you leave the peppers in the oil (i usually go overnight), the hotter the oil gets.  strain the oil through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. pour into a ‘shaker’ bottle (i use old worcestershire sauce bottles… cleaned, of course) — then add the sesame oil.

as an aside, i usually don’t throw out the toasted crushed red peppers. i put them in a separate container and cover with extra virgin olive oil (not the super-premium… but, the regular stuff).  this can then be used to top your spaghetti.  [at least until the fresh hot peppers come into season!!]

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