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rivetcityransom t1_j432orf wrote

That's because it is a red meat, and needs to be treated as such when you're cooking it. Most people who don't like duck have probably had it overcooked, which really changes the flavor and texture. Seared duck breast should be cooked medium rare to medium at most. Duck also benefits quite a lot from aging, like other red meats.

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DivePalau t1_j44d2y5 wrote

I love Duck Confit. I don’t know what it means or what they do to it. I just know it’s amazing.

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tyvanius t1_j44g9yo wrote

Confit is a technique where the food is cooked in its own fat. So duck confit is roasted with a healthy heap of duck fat added in. Basically, anytime you see confit on a menu, it will be the richest, most buttery entree available.

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kachuck t1_j44ldz0 wrote

Duck fat is also known as liquid gold. For a good reason too

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SunlitNight t1_j451gi2 wrote

What reason Is that?

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Reddit-Answered t1_j45950f wrote

Duck fat is often referred to as "liquid gold" because of its rich, delicious taste and its versatility in cooking. It is a prized ingredient in many traditional French and other European cuisines, and is used for frying, sautéing, and roasting. Its high smoke point of about 375°F means it can be used for high-heat cooking methods without breaking down and creating harmful smoke compounds. Duck fat also contains a higher proportion of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than goose or pork fats, which are considered to be healthier fats. Additionally, its rich flavor is considered by many chefs and food enthusiasts to be superior to other types of fats, which is why it is often referred to as "liquid gold."

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Craw__ t1_j44tv0b wrote

Not necessarily it's own fat. Slow cooked in liquid, usually fat or oil though.

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johnnycakeAK t1_j44wabp wrote

Duck Confit is accurately only done by cooking it at low temp in duck fat. Using any other liquid or oil would be poached

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Craw__ t1_j4554yu wrote

I'm referring to confit as a cooking technique, not specifically duck confit.

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boblinquist t1_j46bnhz wrote

This is not true. Confit is as much a preservation technique as anything, although that's not as vital as a requirement these days. Confit comes from the French verb confire, which literally means to preserve. You can't just call anything slow-cooked in a liquid confit.

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glacierre2 t1_j46y90i wrote

Confitura is an alternative word for marmalade in Spanish.

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boblinquist t1_j47iynn wrote

Yep, which is how they used to preserve the oranges! Just slow cook in sugar syrup. It's amazing how much cooking we do came about due to a lack of fresh ingredients

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[deleted] t1_j452p1n wrote

A crucial part of duck confit is to heavily salt (with herbs and other seasonings) it the day before you confit it. The salt draws out the moisture and allows the duck to cook properly.

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StuiWooi t1_j47kuw1 wrote

I always thought it was submerged in a given fat/oil but kept below boiling, it's never crispy

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rivetcityransom t1_j44lxp3 wrote

Agreed! Basically it's duck legs that are slow-cooked in duck fat, then sealed in a container with more duck fat poured over them. It's a really old way of preserving meat that also happens to be delicious!

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notdancingQueen t1_j45l9gp wrote

And then you take them out of the can, swipe the fat in a pan, put the legs in the oven (I love when the skin gets a bit crunchy)... And sautée/broil/otherwise fry some diced potatoes in the fat meanwhile.

Serve duck+potatoes with some green salad with vinaigrette seasoning as a side. Simple and way tastier than chicken or steak.

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No_Flounder_9859 t1_j43wit8 wrote

It’s Heaven on earth as well. If seared duck breast is on the menu, that’s what I’m getting

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zelcuh t1_j44r956 wrote

I JUST got it down myself. I love me for learning how to do it properly.

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naking t1_j46pttq wrote

What is your method? Do you have a link or did you just perfect it through experimentation?

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TooSubtle t1_j456pjm wrote

I've been vegetarian for... Three years now? Duck and fish sauce are the only two things I miss. I have a mental list of animals I'd be okay murdering to survive in a desert-island type scenario and duck is by far the top choice.

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SisyphusRocks7 t1_j457p2n wrote

If it helps, male ducks are horribly misogynistic rapists with torture implements for penises. They pretty much all deserve to be eaten with hoisin sauce.

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TooSubtle t1_j45k51b wrote

Yeah, that's part of the reason they're number 1. It's the confluence of tastiness and personality that defines the list. Goats and geese are second and third.

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-doughboy t1_j456pou wrote

Same here, I almost get annoyed with myself for it, but if duck is on a menu it's like a 95% chance I'm ordering it

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AlwaysHere202 t1_j4541en wrote

My friend is a duck hunter, and keeps just giving me duck breast!

Yesterday, I made seared duck with a peach chutney glaze. Yes, medium rare.

Probably one of the better meals I've had in a bit.

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rivetcityransom t1_j482oc9 wrote

Duck and fruit go so well together! One of my favorite sauces for roast duck is a spicy apricot jam that my wife makes, it makes a delicious glaze for roast birds!

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caessa_ t1_j4605ea wrote

Many Asian-style duck dishes (Peking duck, roast bbq duck, etc) are cooked well-done and are delicious so I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s only one way to prep it.

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rivetcityransom t1_j482fom wrote

Definitely not the only way, it's just like beef in that once it goes beyond medium or so it will eventually come back around to tender and moist, it just requires some careful cooking!

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gramathy t1_j46w1kk wrote

Does it benefit from slow cooking via sous vide to get the doneness right?

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rivetcityransom t1_j483tvx wrote

I've heard of people cooking it sits sous vide and loving it, I've never tried it myself but I'd like to!

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Bewaretheicespiders t1_j442mxd wrote

But it still needs to reach a full 75c temperature to be safe to eat, like other poultry and unlike beef.

edit: Let me dumb it down: Duck has the same safety requirement and risks as other poultry when it comes to cooking temperatures.

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gearpitch t1_j44hef4 wrote

75c isn't even true for other poultry. That's just the temp that bacteria all die instantly. If you hold a lower temperature longer it still is safe. For example, white chicken meat should be held at 65c for three minutes to be juicy and safe, or 63c for 8.5 minutes, or 68c for 1 minute. It's why chicken and Turkey are often seen as dry and tough, because the thermometer said 75c, the meat was pulled out to rest and the internal temp kept rising for a few minutes after.

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RobertoHAHA t1_j44pyun wrote

I love you for explaining this. This is the number 1 cooking tip I give people.

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goldef t1_j44y21a wrote

This is why I love sous vide. I cook chicken at 145F for 3 hours and it's tender and moist.

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rivetcityransom t1_j447m22 wrote

Possibly, but you'll have a well-done duck if you go to that temp. All the ducks that I eat are wild and don't have the same salmonella concerns that domestic poultry has so I'm totally comfortable eating them rare.

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danteheehaw t1_j45x1ad wrote

Pretty much every bird has salmonella. It's part of their normal flora. It's the butchering process that contaminates the meat. Good thing about wild duck is usually its not flying through a dessembly line of employees who really don't give a fuck.

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boblinquist t1_j44iw0a wrote

Exactly, as long as you have good quality fresh produce you shouldn’t have to worry about keeping to such standards.

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