Christmas Dinner

Right after the wedding my parents left for Italy. Johnny and I came back to North Carolina with my brother and his girlfriend, Claire. We had a really low-key Christmas with just my God daughter and her family, us, and my brother. I loved the small Christmas. It was really fun company and just enough food to feed us, without going overboard with a gazillion sides and stress.

My brother cooked Christmas dinner, so no recipes, just sharing the day in photos!

First, he rinsed off the duck that had been brining for 48 hours.

Then, he scored the skin so the fat could render as it cooked.

Our first course was ...cheese. Just cheese. Lyn brought cheese, Michael brought cheese, and I had cheese. It was pounds and pounds of all kinds. Salami wrapped provolone, goat cheese, baked brie, and sharp cheddars.

Michael brought this wine all the way from California to share with us. He has been storing it for 4 years in a cellar, so we were really excited about it.

He was really proud of this "crust." Apparently it's sediment, and meant he stored it correctly on its side? He told me to take a picture, so I obliged...

All of the meal in progress-- busy kitchen!

The duck resting.

Awesome, crispy skin.

Really cute presentation. Legs, thighs, breasts, then wings.

My god daughter, Marissa, led us in prayer.

Then the family was ready to chow down!

The roasted duck with red wine cherry gravy.

Roasted teeny tiny potatoes with onions and garlic.

White wine braised kale with bacon.

The wine continued to flow...

...which led to funny faces...

...and new brother-in-law love!

After dinner, we went down the road to show the girls a really over-the-top decorated house. It's been on The Today Show and HGTV.

The Newlyweds!

Merry Christmas! :)

Brining a Christmas Duck

It's no secret that I'm a fan of duck over turkey. Since roasting duck for Project Food Blog (boo hiss), I've made it again for Johnny and myself, and last year for Thanksgiving.

My brother is home for Christmas this year, and my God daughter and her family are coming to visit. I asked my brother if he wanted to do duck and he said yes, and that we should brine it.

I've never brined a bird, but he said "Mrs. Food Blogger" could handle it, and I accepted the challenge.

I googled a bit and went off his recommendation of "salt, sugar, and orange" to come up with the below on my own, based on what we had.

1.5 cups table salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1 Tbsp fennel seed
1 tsp celery seed
1 Tbsp black pepper
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup brewed tea, cooled
1/4 cup orange juice
2 navel oranges, cut into chunks (include peel)
1 head of garlic, cloves crushed and peeled
1-2 cups water, as needed

I put everything but the oranges and garlic in a 2 gallon zip bag. I squished the bag for a few minutes to help dissolve the salt and sugar. Then I added the oranges and garlic. I let everything sit for about 30 minutes to let the flavors start to blend.

Then I added the duck and squeezed the air out of the bag. I added about 1 cup of water for the solution to cover the entire duck. Once the bag was sealed, there was no air in it and the brine surrounded the entire bird. I put the bag in a giant bowl in the fridge to avoid any tipping or unplanned leaks.


I'm going to let it brine until Sunday morning when Chef Michael comes to prepare it. I'll let you all know how my first brining experience turns out! I'm excited!

Have you ever brined anything?

The Ridiculously Delicious Challenge - Stage 1

Marx Foods has challenged me. And I accept.

The Goodie List

Kobe Beef Sliders OR Kobe Beef Burgers	Whole Quail OR Semi-Boneless Quail
Wild Boar St. Louis Spare Ribs	Pink Salmon Fillets
Kangaroo Burgers OR Ground Kangaroo Meat	Wild Mushroom Sampler (contents may change)
Live Oyster Sampler	Ultimate Chile Head Sampler
10lb Specialty Burger Sampler	Mega Pantry Sampler
Pekin Duck Breasts	Fresh Blood Oranges
5lbs Frozen Wild Huckleberries	20lb Heirloom Potato Sampler
1lb Fresh Daruma Wasabi	Specialty Sausage Sampler
14lb Dried Bean Sampler	1lb Bourbon Vanilla Beans
Superior Spanish Saffron Threads	2 Live Geoducks
Edible Flower Assortment & Microflower Blend

My first task: Choose three of the goodies above and answer "what would I do with them if I won?"

I hemmed, I hawed.

I pondered weak and weary. I nodded, nearly napping.

Finally, finally I decided on three.

(Source)

Duck ...


Duck ...

...Potato!?

Duck breasts because Johnny and I have fallen in love with roasted duck. I even made it for Thanksgiving in lieu of the oft boring turkey. I would roast a few of them, of course. I would also use my ever-growing collection of precious duck fat to confit them.

Sausages because it's in my blood. My dad has made sausage my whole life (and has even e-mailed Justin about trying it!) and I respect it as a true art form. The sausage sampler (containing many duck options) looks like a real adventure I'd like to partake on! To appreciate the sausages' true flavors, I would most likely cook them plain and pair with complimentary side dishes, like polenta.

Heirloom potatoes because they're beautiful! I've heard of heirloom tomatoes, but never heirloom potatoes. I can't wait to sample the different varieties and see their stunning hues on my plate! I think I'd try my hand at gnocchi again, but with a blue or purple variety. How cool would that look!?

Whole Roasted Duck

I had originally wanted to serve duck breasts for my dinner party, but after visiting Orland Meat Market & Deli, I learned there's quite a price difference between the breasts ($14.99/lb.) and the whole duck ($2.99/lb.) so I changed plans.

The owners Spyros and Helen talked me through it and gave me the confidence I needed to tackle a whole duck. I have never cooked duck, much less a whole one, so I was nervous.

I found some simple instructions online and talked it over with my brother to tackle it low-and-slow for the best results. Ducks are water fowl, so they have an extra layer of fat between their skin and the meat. This fat needs to be rendered off, so it's best to cook for a long period of time at a low temperature.

2 ducks, approximate 5 lbs. each
Kosher salt
black pepper
fresh garlic

Begin by removing the neck and giblets from the duck's cavity. Using kitchen shears, cut off the wing tips and any large gobs of fat around the cavity openings. You can save all of these things to make stock later.

Rinse the duck in water, and then pat thoroughly dry using paper towels. The trick to crispy duck skin is starting with a dry bird. Using a very sharp paring knife, make diagonal slits all over the bird. Take special care across the breasts and thigh areas. Do not pierce the meat or it will become dried out during cooking. (I'm sorry I did not get a picture of this step!) Rub the cavity liberally with salt and pepper, and stuff with several minced cloves of garlic.

Edited to add: Video below of the process to slit the duck's skin to help render the fat.



Put the duck breast side up on a rack over a roasting pan. Place in a 300° oven for 4 hours. Every hour, remove the pan and flip the ducks over. Using a turkey baster, remove the duck fat from the pan each hour, reserving for later use. Removing the fat will help with splattering and smoking in the oven.

I opted to carve the duck traditionally, as one would with a chicken. Breasts, wings, legs, and thighs were portioned with each guest getting a piece on their place. It was phenominally juicy and tender, with a crispy, roasted skin.


I'm pretty sure this was my first time eating duck (besides stealing a bite off of Johnny or my dad's plates) and it was definitely my first time cooking it.


I have to say it was another success. It turned out better than I anticipated and most of my guests had never had duck either. Everybody seemed to like it, and one guest even named it as their favorite dish of the evening!