When I walked up to the poultry counter at Whole Foods, the butcher asked if he could help me. I saw that there were two duck breasts in the case, but no price, so I asked him how much they were. He told me he could look the price up in the register and while he was doing so I told him that I had never cooked duck before and that my husband was really excited that I was going to fix it. He looked up and cautioned me to not overcook the duck because he said it is easy to do and then it will be dry. He put one of the duck breasts on the scale and fiddled with the scale and it was exactly one pound and then he said that it was $13.99 per pound. "Oh, wow, " I said and I don't know if was my low gasp of shock mixed with what I am sure was disappointment on my face that moved him to say, "Well, since you are buying two perhaps I can give you a break in the price. "Shall I wrap them up for you?" he asked. "Okay." I replied, thinking to myself that I had better not overcook these because while they may be Dorie's duck-as-everyday food, they are duck-as-caviar only-for-special-occasions dinner for us.
I think the butcher would approve of Dorie's recipe because 20 minutes is all that is needed to have the most moist and succulent duck that you will possibly ever eat. No kidding. And the honey-glazed sauce is truly what put this recipe over the top for me. If you haven't made this yet, make sure that you do have some rustic bread on the table because you will want to sop up every last bit of the sauce. And what did John think about it? He said it was the best meal I have ever made. Can't wait to share that with my butcher the next time I see him. Yes, I finally understand how important it is to get to know your butcher, so I will be buying my French Fridays with Dorie poultry and meat from him from now on.
Visit French Fridays with Dorie to see what the other members thought of this week's recipe. You can find the recipe on p.229-30 of Around My French Table and you can find it online here.
So glad you liked this recipe! I'm not sure I'd try making duck (especially if it's that expensive!) because I have one daughter who's quite squeamish about that kind of thing. The sauce sounds delicious though.
ReplyDeleteGlad you took the plunge and spent the money. I, too, was surprised by the price and asked for the smallest piece I could see...for $5.00!
ReplyDeleteHow come duck is "in season" for everyone but me?? My store won't have it for another two weeks. GRRR. Yours looks fantastic, and you can't really get a better compliment than "the best meal you've ever cooked." Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great compliment from your husband! Maybe you can save this recipe as your special occasion date night at home meal.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that's really pricy for the duck breasts! I typically use frozen (individually portioned) and stock up when they go on sale. So this recipe is a quick easy way to turn one of the emergency protein in the freezer into an elegant meal.
ReplyDeleteVery glad to see that your dish turned out so well and it was perfectly cooked! The deep caramelized colour looks so inviting.
aww, that was nice of him! I have been building my relationship with my butcher and I think he cringes when I walk-in, knowing that I'm going to be asking for something they dont usually have cut already, and often times I call it something they dont necessarily know because I don't know the British terms for it. So its been good to know exactly where your cut of meat comes from so you can tell butchers abroad... a new skill for me.
ReplyDelete13.99$ a pounds sounds like a steal. (Mine were almost 20$/ lb - total sticker shock...)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed & now you have a special meal in hand for the future (if the audience is small enough).
13.99$ a pounds sounds like a steal. (Mine were almost 20$/ lb - total sticker shock...)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed & now you have a special meal in hand for the future (if the audience is small enough).
I would so love to find a good butcher. We shop at a coop called The Wedge in Minneapolis, it is great, but I don't know that they are actually cutting the meat there. It looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteThats one expensive duck, glad it was well worth it
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that the splurge resulted in a perfect meal. I'm sure you were pleased with John's compliment! I feel very lucky that my grocery store carried delicous duck breasts for just $10/pound, two breasts per pound, a nice serving size for us. Elaine, I haven't had a chance to tell you how much I enjoyed the roasted vegs with lentils that you made with the Cornish hens. I made them and loved them!
ReplyDeleteLOL at the Duck - as - Caviar! Too fun of a comparison. ....it is good to know the butcher, and I'm jealous you have a Whole Foods, I'm relegated to Bristol Farms that overcharges for most everything! This was definitely worth the splurge and I'm glad you did!
ReplyDeletePS - don't you love Pinterest?
Happy French Friday!
So, I'm curious as to what kind of deal the butcher gave you. I bought the whole duck, and it was $14. I'm going to check around when the breasts are in season! I loved this one!
ReplyDeleteOh my that looks good! Exquisite! I've never had duck - but you make is look so enticing - the whole meal looks wonderful. Glad it was a favorite for John (and your pocketbook)!
ReplyDeleteI think that was one of the easiest meals to prepare.
ReplyDeleteYours look so delicious. Hubby and I both enjoyed this as did Tricia and her family. Now that I have tasted duck, I will keep my eyes open for specials to put
in the freezer.
How nice you got a little deal on your duck :) I just put mine in the cart without looking at the price...I knew I'd have sticker shock. But well worth for both of us...I love the compliment John gave you!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend, Elaine!
Your duck looks scrumptious! I really wanted to do this one but we were on the road driving home. I do plan on making this one soon! So glad you and John enjoyed your special meal...definitely worth the cost!
ReplyDeleteYou're so lucky the butcher was so nice! Mine didn't turn out so well and I'm not certain I didn't get old product. Great post!
ReplyDeleteNice job...I couldn't do this one. Can't eat these pets that we take the kiddies to feed and that have lived for years in our yard...yes we have wild ducks that lay their eggs and they hatch and we all help raise the babies...and...well, can't do duck. And I won't be able to do lamb either, but that gives me a couple of weeks to do recipes I've been putting off. But I must say that your duck looks great and I'm certainly glad it was not dry. I think my Chinese friends would enjoy this recipe; I'll have to tell them about it.
ReplyDeleteWow - best meal you ever made! Perhaps this will become his birthday dinner from now on? I thank Dorie for helping me cook these so well.
ReplyDeleteSo glad this story had a happy ending! Best meal? Wow. I've seen what you cook so wow again. Yeah, perhaps on the Dor's budget she can have this every day of the week but for us mortals it has to be great and this surely was. I went to it for Chef's choice because I felt I had to make up the slack this month.
ReplyDelete