2016-11-05
This page shows the occasional difference between expectation and reality.
Like I do so often, I started with a meal, then later made a soup out of it. However, this one time it was out of necessity. I thought I was cooking a young duck. The duck did not agree.
The 90 minutes shown in part 1 are more than sufficient to make a young duck leg tender in a pot roast, but not nearly enough for an old bird. I had to boil it 3 more hours before it was acceptable. Dinner was late that day.
The recipe was good, my rubber duck wasn't appropriate for that recipe.
Duck pieces braised in fruit paste, (figs, dates, prunes a.o.) and pomegranate juice, served with mixed vegetables (potatoes, onion, bell pepper, broccoli). The fruit paste sweetens the stew, and turns it a very dark color. The pomegranate juice gives it a prominently tart flavor overtone.
This is what you need for 4 servings:
vegetables, cooked and served separately
Pic1: braised duck with fruit paste & pomegranate juice
Pic2: vacuum-sealed duck pieces
Pic5: melt the fruit paste
Pic8: add water, veggies 2:20 PMThis recipe starts where the one above left off.
Because this was a tough old bird instead of a young one like I had thought, it was still very chewy when I served it the 1st time. I added water and extra seasoning and started boiling this rubber duck into submission.
Three hours later, I prevailed and served the soup and Roasted Soup Duck.