_duck To Bone Recipes

MIGHTY DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all brine ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
• Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart. Cut off the wings.
• Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
• Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat.
• Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed from the bag. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.
• Remove duck pieces from steamer and place legs, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.
• Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.
• Serve the duck with the chard.

_DUCK, COOKED: TO BONE AND CARVE

Steps:

• Cut off legs at the thigh joints. Slip out leg bones and cut meat in 1- or 1 1/2-inch strips. Cut off wings at shoulder joints. With a sharp knife, make a vertical incision along the center line of the breast. Slip the knife in to separate meat and bone. Cut meat in 1- or 1 1/2-inch strips.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_DUCK: TO BONE

Steps:

• Chop off the lower wings. Cut carefully downward along the spine, working close to the bone. Separate meat from bone without tearing either meat or skin. Lift one leg of duck and move it in all directions to loosen the thigh joint. Insert the knife point, hitting thigh joint lightly but firmly until joint and pelvis separate. Repeat with the other leg and with both shoulder joints to loosen. In the fleshier portions, such as breast and thighs, alternately cut and pull the meat away from the bones, to separate the flesh from the carcass. When meat and bones are completely separated, draw the bony neck out as far as possible through the skin. Chop neck off. Draw out the windpipe and esophagus. Remove as much tail bone as possible, but do not chop off tail. Carefully remove oil sacs near the tail. Wash duck in cold water. Hang by tail to drain thoroughly.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_DUCK, COOKED: TO CUT UP

Steps:

• Cut off the legs at the thigh joints, the wings at the shoulder joints. Split duck in half along the backbone. Carefully separate breast meat from bone, using a cutting and tearing action. Cut breast meat in 2-inch strips. With a cleaver, chop legs and upper wings in 2-inch sections. To serve: Place neck on platter. Arrange wing, leg and breast sections to approximate original shape of duck.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_CHICKEN: TO BONE

Steps:

• Make a lengthwise slit in the skin at the back of the neck, cutting downward to base of the neck. Loosen skin. Remove crop. Cut through neckbone. Roll back skin at shoulders. At wing joints, cut through sinews. Make a cut along the wing bone, following the bone closely with the knife. Push up the bone and cut it off at the second joint. (Don't remove bone from lower wings.) Slip knife along breastbone, one side at a time: separate meat from bone, pushing meat toward the back and cutting it loose crosswise at the back loosen the meat with the back of the knife, slipping it further off the body. Where legs join body, break the joints, cut through the sinews. The meat should now be inverted with the legs attached. Separate meat from carcass by cutting it wherever it's still attached. Loosen meat from thighs. Push bone up and cut off at first joint. Loosen meat of next leg section, by cutting along bone. Turn meat inside out to remove leg bone. The entire chicken should now be inside out. Turn it back to its original shape. (If boning a chicken seems too difficult, have the butcher do it, or leave the bones in. In the latter case, carve the chicken Western-style.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.