Duck It Up

Since I have put my pescatarianism on hiatus while I'm abroad - don't ask why, I just did - I thought it would be a fantastic idea to cook some type of bird in honor of Thanksgiving at home. Our oven, however, isn't much more than a shoe box, and a proper turkey wasn't going to work. I settled on duck. Duck is a meat I used to salivate for back in the days when I just didn't eat beef.

The only thing is... I have never cooked an entire flying animal in my life. All I know is that a turkey goes in the oven and people have to get up at ungodly hours to do it. My aunt and cousin can cook a turkey in their sleep. I have neglected this rite of passage; and I still sit at the kid's table on Thanksgiving.

The duck was going to be my initiation. I found an organic butcher and he assured me the duck I was buying was a mighty fine specimen.

I got home, excited and nervous, and unwrapped my new duck. As soon as the neck fell out of its body cavity, I questioned if learning how to cook this was really necessary.

Yet I forged ahead. I salted it and peppered it. I turned the oven on to something Celsius that seemed hot and I clumsily stuck the duck on the oven rack. Little did I know that duck spews hot fat everywhere. The oven now screamed indignantly for a cleaning.

Somewhere along the way the duck started to smoke more than I felt a duck should smoke while it's cooking. Hmm. Maybe this means it's done. Indeed, the duck came out of the oven and was set gently on my blue, plastic cutting board. Nothing but the best for my duck. No really, I don't own a lot here, so that actually is the best I have.

Now for gravy. I called my mom to double check how to make the yummy gravy she always had on the table for pot roast and the like. She told me the steps and I was off to mix my duck fat with flour and water!

Hmm. My gravy still tastes like duck fat. With flour and water in it. Maybe some salt. And more flour and water.

Crap. Now it's salty duck fat pudding.

Gravy aside, the duck was delicious. I showed my respect by picking the bones clean.