Duck

I realize it has been some time since my last post--purely technical issues I assure you.. ( a combination of the failure of our household computers as well as the fact that my IT department frowns on blogging on company time...)

I'll get right into it. I love duck, I love its byproducts (foie gras, duck fat etc) but I will be honest I still havent mastered the ability to cook it to my liking. I tend to think of duck cooked in two culinary traditions--both of which require fairly technical skillsets.

The first is the french style (as with most foods..) Duck A'lorange: that behemoth of french gastronomie--surprisingly, still good. The french style tends towards an oven roasting style, using surrounding heat to bring the duck to a tender ending with a still crisp (though not crackling) exterior.

The second, increasingly more prevalent is the Asian style (ubiquitously refered to as "peking" or "cantonese") These are the whole roasted ducks hanging in your neighborhood chinese/korean/cantonese bbq hole in the wall. (for those of you who know where I live I clearly mean YOUR neighborhood joint not mine). Crispy orange skin, heads still on this is the perfection of thousands of years of duck loving culture.

I have yet to be able to replicate either the depth of flavour imparted in the french style, or the smashingly crisp skin of the peking brand. But recently I came as close as I ever have. The trick suggested by my friend Chef was a pre roasting boil. In a large pot put 6 tsp of honey as well as salt, pepper and herbs de provence. Boil for 15 minutes and then remove the duck and allow to dry. Zest 2 large oranges and crush in a mortar and pestle with fleur de sel, cracked black pepper and black garlic. Rub the now dry duck thoroughly- and stuff the cavity with quartered oranges and onions. Turn on one side of the bbq and place the duck on the indirect heat side, glazing with a mixture of garlic, onions, honey, orange juice, and vinegar. Cook for 3 hours at a very low heat until the skin becomes crispy. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT THEN TRY AND PUT THE DUCK OVER DIRECT HEAT TO "CRISP THE SKIN MORE" --that is how I ruined the duck (not totally, just enough to piss me off.)

Also--use any leftover fat to fry anything and everything you have at hand.

The next level of Fusion

Today we went to perhaps what is the most overpriced grocery store in Toronto- Mcewans, even more pricey then Pusateri's (shocking I know).

This place has it's own sous chef- one featured regularly on T.V. It claims to make over 800 of its own products in house, provide butchery services to one of the Cities most expensive catering programs, and generally triple the pricing of even the most expensive grocery stores I have ever encountered.

That being said--seeing what is available inspires an incredible greed in me. Rows upon Rows of 20 year old balsamics, first press olive oil, wagyu beef, and most importantly-Foie Gras!

There are very few places that I inhabit where I can buy my penultimate indulgence (in terrine, rillet, or whole lobe form.) And I am almost totally unable to say no.

So clearly I purchased a few generous portions as my splurge of the month, but then had to find something else to eat for dinner. Wading through their butchery and fresh fish areas I realized that there was very little I would be able to afford. I settled on a cryo-packed boned-out whole chicken 3 days marinaded in traditional jerk spices. (I also folded for duck prosciutto, prosciutto salami, cloth wrapped cheddar from PEI and some gifts). But-Dinner was Set!

Can I tell you that there is no more classic combination in my repetoire now then seared foie gras on brioche with sea salt, followed by dirty rice (short grained rice, caramalized onions, garlic, bacon-slow simmered in white wine and blended with sea salt and cracked pepper) and slow barbequed jerk chicken.

We laughed that this was an incredible mis-match in tastes but we agreed that the simple seared foie, with the basic chicken and rice was a great and hillarious combination.

The only downside was that I lost so much precious duck liver to the high heat searing!

I think I should call Martin Picard, and Rob Rainford..get some sort of collaborative project together....

Anthony Bourdain

I am not going to lie, this guy is one of my culinary heroes. I cant really condone his early life and rampant drug use but I have to admit that my most dog eared books are his Kitchen Confidential, The Nasty Bits & a Cooks Tour.

What I like about the guy is his total sensual indulgence in food, he speaks clearly of his first true foodie moments. His first taste of vichyssoise, his first oyster, his first irreverent glass of vin ordinaire (watered of course, he was 14 or something) Relating to that on my level is easy. My first fondue, my first beef carpaccio, my first foie gras and my first glass of new zealand sauvignon blanc- which unfortunately turned me on to wine.

Total culinary sensualism cant be a bad thing, when you look at Bourdains travels he has literally made an attempt to be killed by food at least 5 times (4 of which ended in gastroenteritis) and you have to admire that. I hope that one day, having established myself I will attempt food induced coma's at every opportunity....

Most of all I appreciate the in depth look at my daily life. The grind of cooks, the shitty side of waiting tables, the importance of working a 60 hour week without a word of complaint. Heed his advice about when to eat seafood in a restaurant, the perils of mussels anywhere, why never to order a steak well done, the true importance of quality knives & heavy bottom cookware and truism that if you ever screw with someones mise en place (their general cooking items from salt & pepper to towels to oil, wine, herbs, chiles etc)you deserve to be shot.

This guy has got me back into cooking many times in the past few years, every time I read his books I want to be better in my industry.