Recipe: Duck Leg-Quarters

I love duck.  It's maybe my favorite protein to eat.  Don't fear the duck.  If you find it in your grocery store, buy it.  Then have me over for dinner.  Or, as Wimpy famously said in the Popeye cartoons...."You bring the duck....I'll bring the dinner."

DUCK LEG QUARTERS

2 duck leg-thigh quarters
salt

That's right....all you need for a delicious main dish is 2 ingredients.

Put the duck on a work surface.  Using a very sharp knife (or a utility knife, like I did), make VERY shallow cuts across the skin about 1/2 of an inch apart.  You only want to break the skin -- you don't want to cut so deep it gets into the flesh.  The knife MUST be sharp, or you will not be able to make it through the skin.  Then turn the duck 90 degrees, and make more shallow cuts exactly the same way and depth.  Sprinkle with salt.

Repeat on the other duck quarter.

Heat a good heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot.  I strongly recommend a cast iron skillet if you have it.  A drop of water should sizzle and evaporate almost immediately.  Put the duck in the skillet, skin-side down.  If you have a splatter-guard (this is a fine screen on a round frame), put it over the pan, or else you may get to clean a mess off of your stove top.  Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes for medium doneness.  If you prefer your duck "well done," then you should really reconsider.  Also, turn the heat on the pan down to medium low after 6 minutes and cook for a total of 10 minutes.

Flip the duck and cook for the same amount of time you cooked the "skin" side (6 minutes for medium, 10 minutes for well done).  Put on a plate and cover tightly with foil for 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

BONUS:  Pour off the excess duck fat from the pan.  Add 1/2 cup of your favorite juice to the pan (orange is traditional, but white grape or cranberry works well, too) while the pan is hot.  Scrape the bottom of the pan to get any tasty browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Boil on hot until it thickens (only a couple of minutes).  Serve this pan sauce over the duck.

Finally, in the words of Beldar Conehead, "Consume mass quantities."