This recipe includes a few firsts for me. This is the first time I recall ever having duck. This is the first time I have ever roasted a duck or cooked it in any way. I have also never had kumquats and don't candy very much of my foods.
So, I mostly thawed the duck...my life would have been a little easier if I'd have let the duck thaw a bit longer. I opened up the duck package, pricked just under the skin only, and dropped said duck into about three quarts of chicken and vegetable broth. I did not have duck or chicken stock, and water was the final option. I went with broth. It works for just about everything else;-). That was the easy part, not that any of this is particularly hard.
I then set to cutting a pound of kumquats into quarter inch slices, and tasted a couple as I put them in their bowl. They tasted like miniature grapefruits, but a hint sweeter. Then I put them in water and simmered them warmly about 5 minutes. Once they were drained and set aside, I began the candied part, in which I made a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar with a cinnamon stick and 1/2 a vanilla bean including seeds. I boiled then simmered the syrup for about five minutes.
Next, I put the kumquats back in to cook for about 8 minutes. They became translucent and tender, as called for and I set the sauce aside.
Then came time to check the duck. I don't have any large meat forks, probably because I don't normally cook more than chicken breast for meat. So, I had the problem of getting the duck out of a stock pot that was already crowded with duck. I poured the broth into mason jars, planning to save it for soup. I worked a little at getting the duck out, first with two forks, then a knife and a fork, and tried a spatula and a fork. None of those efforts were working with me and duck. Finally, I pulled the duck out by the legs and set him down on the roasting pan resting next to the pot. As I was pulling out the innards, I realized part of him still seemed frozen. I put the duck back into the pot. I poured the broth back in. I cooked him for a few minutes more, maybe 15.
I poured the sauce back into the mason jars, still glad I had them out. I waited five minutes for the bird to cool a little and pulled him out by the legs again. I dropped him immediately on the roasting pan, and removed the rest of the innards, wondering which one had been the kidney, liver and heart, and if any of them tasted any good. There must still be a scientific mind in me somewhere. The innards went into duck stock with chicken broth for soup.
I forgot to pat the duck dry with paper towels, but I'm sure he dried while I removed the innards. I then seasoned him salt and pepper and roasted him for 30 mintues at 500 degrees. Duck got a real nice tan. I thought it was mighty fine work myself. I stuck my candy thermometer into the thigh joint and found him only done to 150 degrees. The package insisted duck reach 180 before he's done tanning. Emeril, didn't insist on a temperature, but I like my birds cooked;-). So, Duck went back into the tanning bed for five more minutes and hit 175 degrees in one thigh and 170 degrees in the other. I called that close enough and let him rest.
Meanwhile, I had been tasting the succulently sweet candied kumquats and forced myself to fold laundry in the basement to make the kumquats last until duck was ready. After I pulled the bronzed duck out of the oven, I let him rest for 15 minutes. I decided that since I had only talked to James on the phone, I would take him some kumquats, some candied some not, so he could try them and I'd test the four legged critter treats I made last night.I also planned to get two oranges for the Orange Cranberry Sauce I still need to make. I thought it would go good with dinner. I got all bundled up, and called James to let him know I was on my way and stepped out of my front door as he told me I shouldn't, it's pretty nasty out there. I agreed with him and promptly stepped back inside to shed myself of my winter armor and decided "It's not fit for man nor beast out there."
I set my stuff in my kitchen and proceeded to wait for duck to be ready. As soon as he was, I got out my pretty carving knife and sliced myself a piece of juicy, greasy duck. I thought duck was a little rich on his own, but adding the candied kumquats seemed to provide a great balance of sweet and a hint of tart with a bit of richness for a decadent dinner worth waiting for.
I will definitely make this recipe again, but duck is expensive, so not to often. And if I cook more than one, I need either a larger pot or two pots to cook them in. If you want to make a similar recipe without breaking your budget, it can be made with roasted pork too. I'll discuss pork when I encounter those recipes.
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