Engage-Aversary Dinner
This blog entry is merely to brag & give a few more close-ups of my first post ever — Cast Iron Duck Breast.
Obviously when I made the crispy duck breast the first time, a blog was not nearly on the horizon, nor was I worried about taking too many pictures…..my how times have changed.
I would like to think my instructions were as thorough as they could possibly be, but if you’re like me ((& I’m sure you are)) then pictures are NEEDED.
addition of truffle.
I’ve learned a few things in my day. My 3 Cheese Scallopped potatoes are still a HUGE hit — but I’m always looking for subtle ways to jazz them up without going overboard…..if that’s even a thing.
with the buttah.
of course I forgot to take a picture of the actual truffle oil….its a small bottle from Wegmans for like $8.
I mixed 1 TBS of the black truffle oil with 3 TBS of melted butter and drizzled 2 TSP of the mixture over the potatoes per layer…..SHEEEESH heavenly.
Chris made a side!
because we play fair in this house, Chris said he wanted to make a side ((but of course it had meat on it — HAHAHA)) He chose “Asparagus Bundles” and they are always divine. He is so cute with his prep — loved every minute of it.
4-5 skinny sticks of asparagus, wound around with 1 slice of uncooked bacon.
we used a bit of olive oil to brush over & make sure the tender tops of the asparagus didn’t get burnt or dry.
Simply sprinkled with Salt & Pepper and roasted in the oven on 400 for about 25 minutes.
onto the main course — DA DUCK.
just wanted to give yall a little bit more of an in-depth look at how to correctly score the duck fat & season appropriately.
I know I missed the mark on that last time so please ooh & aah over these step-by-step instructions that you desperately need.
The knife choice is OH SO important for this step — it needs to be super sharp & thin in order to accurately score the fat to perfection so it can get the maximum amount of crispy by rendering in its own fat…..oh yea.
Kriss Kross
Start on one end of the duck, diagonally, and make thin, quick cuts until you see the red flesh beneath.
DO NOT SAW BACK AND FORTH.
shit.
Repeat this process and then rotate your duck ((or move your body, thats what I did)) and slice back the other way overtop of the cuts you just made.
VIOLA!
time & temp changes
So, in my originally blog post, I told you to put the duck in the oven for 4-6 minutes to finish roasting after searing it on both sides….
DO NOT DO IT.
Instead, adjust the cooking times slightly and allow to rest for a full 12-15 minutes.
All will be well, trust me.
Start the duck skin-side down in a COLD cast iron pan.
Turn the heat to medium-high and DO NOT TOUCH the duck, nor flip it for a full 8 minutes.
Flip the duck over and cook for 3 minutes — there should be plenty of duck fat leftover from the skin & it will make a delicious difference to finish cooking.
Remove the duck from the heat & transfer to a cutting board, tent with tin foil and rest for 12-15 minutes.
our favorite fancy-night-in-meal
This cast iron duck is impressive, delicious & relatively easy.
I will stress it again — YOU CAN DO IT.
I’m so glad to share this meal & our love with you, my readers. The potatoes are a much-requested fan-favorite. The assembly isn’t time consuming, its everything else beforehand that seems to take forever. EESH. but man are they worth it! Especially that little touch of decadence with the addition of truffle oil sent them over the top!
Hope you have enjoyed seeing more pictures & the small albeit important changes & I hope you’ll give my premiere blog recipe a try for someone you love!
Thanks for stopping by!
I appreciate you stopping by! If you loved it, I’d love to hear from you.
If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
© 2021 Cookin’ & Cussin’
