Getting Ducky

OK, the secret will now be out. Dorothy loves duck. Especially Muscovy duck. I repeat. Dorothy loves duck.

So, when I saw a fresh Muscovy Duck at the Toboton Creek Farm stand at the University Village Farmer's Market, I knew I had no choice. We came home with a seven pounder.

My first task was to break it down into legs, breasts, and wings, and get the carcass into a stock pot to make duck stock. I put the wings in the stock pot too.

For dinner, I went with one breast (they are big), did it simply, just salt and pepper, and seared it in a hot cast iron pan to render the subcutaneous fat under the skin, and turned to get the other side cooked too. The goal was medium-rare. I let it rest in a warm oven while finishing the sides and sauce. We went with roasted sweet potato and steamed Brussels sprouts (that were browned in butter to finish).

For the sauce I made a huckleberry gastric. I froze multiple bags of 1-cup portions of huckleberries this past summer; they come in really handy on occasions like this.

I will confit the legs, and am thinking I might make duck bacon with the other breast. Stay tuned...

Huckleberry Gastric

1 cup huckleberries (4.7 ounces)
3.5 ounces sugar
4 ounces water
0.25 ounces dry Basel
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Place all ingredients except the Huckleberries in a small pot, and bring to a boil. Before the developing syrup becomes too thick, strain out the Basel. Clean the pot, return syrup to pot, and continue to boil down to a medium syrup. Take off the heat, add the huckleberries and stir. Taste and add more vinegar if needed, and season with kosher salt as needed.